International visitors spent an extra £562m due to VisitBritain activity in 2024-25. However, the agency warns the UK is losing ground internationally. The figures were presented at VisitBritain’s annual review on 21 October.
Its Starring GREAT Britain screen-tourism campaign generated £217m from January to June. The return was £20 for every £1 invested. Sixty per cent of total spend – £336m – was outside London, indicating wider regional impact beyond the capital.
VisitBritain forecasts £34.6bn in international visitor spend this year, up 6% on 2024. Visits are forecast at 44.3m, up 4%. The outlook is positive, but the agency says growth still trails Western Europe and risks widening the gap without policy support.
Nick de Bois, British Tourist Authority chairman, said the UK is “losing ground internationally as a destination.” He added: “VisitBritain’s analysis shows that if tourism to the UK was growing at the same pace as current forecasts for Western Europe, the industry would be worth an additional £4.4bn per year by 2030 to the UK economy. But tourism is extremely competitive, and visitors have a lot of choice.”
VisitEngland continues to back the Local Visitor Economy Partnership programme. Two Destination Development Partnership pilots ran in the North East and West Midlands. Domestic overnight trips in England are down 8% year on year, underlining pressure on regional demand alongside the international picture.
De Bois said: “Despite the success of the DDP pilots and the hard work of LVEPs to gain accreditation, I am disappointed that there is still no long-term funding commitment from government. After all the structures of tourism have responded and it would be timely now for government to do so too, to secure the future of destination management across England.”
