Discover the value of the Purple Pound
What is the Purple Pound?
The purple pound is the term for the spending power of disabled people.
Total spend
Total spend
- Total expenditure on tourism trips in England by those with an impairment or those travelling within a group where a member has an impairment is estimated to be £14.6 billion annually.
- Inbound visitor spending in England by this group was £0.6 billion in 2023.
- Domestic overnight visitor spending in England by this group of Great Britain residents was £5.8 billion in 2024.
- Tourism day visit spending in England by this group of Great Britain residents was £8.2 billion in 2024.
Total trips
Total trips
Trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions:
- 0.7m were taken by inbound visitors to England in 2023.
- 20.8m were taken by domestic overnight visitors in England in 2024.
- 180m were taken as tourism day visitors in England in 2024.
Contribution to tourism
Contribution to tourism: number of trips
Trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions:
- 1.9% of all inbound trips to England in 2023.
- 23% of domestic overnight trips in England in 2024.
- 20% of tourism day visits in England in 2024.
Contribution to tourism: spending
Contribution to tourism: spending
The spend from trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions made up:
- 2% of all inbound trip spending in England in 2023.
- 21% of domestic overnight trip spending in England in 2024.
- 17% of day visit spending in England in 2024.
Average spend
Average spend
- The average spend per inbound visit to England was £819 for all trips, compared to £863 for trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
- The average spend per domestic overnight trip in England was £305 for all trips, compared to £279 for trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
Average length of stay
Average length of stay
- The average length of stay per inbound visit to England was 7.7 nights for all trips, compared to 12.2 nights for trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
- The average length of stay per domestic overnight trip in England was 2.9 nights for all trips, compared to 3.2 nights for trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
Age of traveller
Age of traveller
- Those 55+ made up 21% of all inbound visits, compared with 52% of trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
- Those aged 55+ made up 21% of all domestic overnight trips in England, compared with 23% of trips taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
- Those aged 55+ made up 30% of all tourism day visits, compared with 37% of tourism day visits taken by those with an impairment and their travelling companions.
Two main tourism surveys
About the research
The data presented on this page is taken from the following two surveys: Great Britain Tourism Survey (2024) and International Passenger Survey (2023).
All data for domestic overnight trips and tourism day visits relate to trips/visits taken in England by residents of Great Britain. Due to changes in survey methodology, this data cannot be directly compared with previous data.
Accessible & Inclusive Tourism Toolkit
Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit for Businesses
Wherever you are in your accessibility journey − and however new or well-established your business is − our Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Toolkit for Businesses aims to give you the practical hints and tips, and the reassurance and confidence, to move forward inclusively.
