Table of contents
- Main points
- International Passenger Survey and coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Overseas’ residents visits to the UK: January to March 2022
- Visits abroad by UK residents
- Overseas travel and tourism data
- Accuracy of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) estimates
- Glossary
- Measuring the data
- Related links
- Cite This Release
1. Main points
Overseas residents made 3.8 million visits to the UK in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022; this was much higher than in Quarter 1 2021, when just 245,000 visits were made by air when travel restrictions were in place.
Overseas residents spent £3.1 billion on their visits to the UK in Quarter 1 2022, an increase of £2.8 billion compared with air visits in Quarter 1 2021.
UK residents made 9.5 million visits abroad in Quarter 1 2022; this compares with total visits by air in Quarter 1 2021 of 918,000.
UK residents spent £7.5 billion on visits abroad in the first Quarter of 2022; this was £6.5 billion more than in Quarter 1 2021.
The estimates provided for 2022 should be treated with caution as the numbers are smaller than pre-coronavirus pandemic years. The data still exclude the EuroTunnel as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) was unable to interview at this site until July 2022. No estimates are included for any travel across the Irish border.
3. Overseas’ residents visits to the UK: January to March 2022
Overseas residents made a total of 3.8 million visits to the UK during Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) of 2022, compared with 245,000 visits by air in Quarter 1 2021. The large increase in visits can be attributed to the easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions towards the end of 2021.
There were 8.3 million overseas visits made by overseas’ residents in Quarter 1 2019 before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. In Quarter 1 2022, visits fell by 53% to 3.8 million and spending also decreased by 36% to £3.1 billion when compared with Quarter 1 2019. This shows visitor numbers are still short of pre-coronavirus pandemic levels, but are starting to increase.
Figure 1: Overseas residents’ visits to the UK increased by 3.6 million in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Quarter 1 (Jan to March) 2017 to Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2020 (all modes) and Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2021 (air only) with the addition of sea data from Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2021 to Quarter1 2022. Quarter 1 2022 figures are provisional (p)
Source: International Passenger Survey – Overseas travel and tourism
Download this chart Figure 1: Overseas residents’ visits to the UK increased by 3.6 million in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Image .csv .xlsVisits to the UK by overseas visitors increased in Quarter 1 2022 when compared with Quarter 1 2021. Although holiday visits increased in 2022, visiting friends or relatives was still the most common reason for visiting the UK, and increased from 151,000 to 1.7 million visits. Holiday visits increased from 8,000 to 928,000 visits, and business trips increased from 34,000 to 787,000.
Estimated spending in the UK by overseas visitors was £3.1 billion in Quarter 1 2022, compared with £287 million in Quarter 1 2021. Similar levels of increase were seen for all areas of the world.
Figure 2: Spending by overseas residents in the UK increased by £2.8 billion in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Quarter 1 (Jan to March) 2017 to Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2020 (all modes) and Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2021 (air only) with the addition of sea data from Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2021 to Quarter 1 2022
Source: International Passenger Survey – Overseas travel and tourism
Download this chart Figure 2: Spending by overseas residents in the UK increased by £2.8 billion in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Image .csv .xls4. Visits abroad by UK residents
UK residents made 9.5 million visits abroad in Quarter 1 (January to March) 2022. This compares with 918,000 visits by air in the same Quarter in 2021. This large increase in visits overseas could be attributed to the lifting of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic travel restrictions. However, the visits abroad in Quarter 1 2022 were 48% down on pre-pandemic levels. The disruption at airports across the UK caused by staff shortages or by the rising cost of living could be linked to this slower growth of UK residents visits abroad.
The largest number of visits abroad were made to Europe (7.1 million), an increase of 6.6 million visits from Quarter 1 in 2021.
Figure 3: UK residents’ visits abroad increased by 8.6 million in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2017 to Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2020 (all modes) and Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2021 (air only) with the addition of sea data from Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2021 to Quarter 1 2022
Source: International Passenger Survey – Overseas travel and tourism
Download this chart Figure 3: UK residents’ visits abroad increased by 8.6 million in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Image .csv .xlsBusiness visits were the least likely reason for UK residents’ visits abroad. In Quarter 1 2022, there were just 653,000 business trips. Holidays have returned to be the most common reason for travelling again, accounting for 51% of all visits (4.9 million).
UK residents spent £7.5 billion during visits abroad in Quarter 1 2022. This was a increase of £6.5 billion when compared with the same period in 2021.
Figure 4: Spending by UK residents abroad increased by £6.5 billion in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2017 to Quarter 4 (Oct to Dec) 2020 (all modes) and Quarter 1 to Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2021 (air only) with the addition of sea data from Quarter 3 (July to Sept) 2021 to Quarter 1 2022
Source: International Passenger Survey – Overseas travel and tourism
Download this chart Figure 4: Spending by UK residents abroad increased by £6.5 billion in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2022
Image .csv .xls5. Overseas travel and tourism data
Estimates of overseas residents’ visits and spending in the UK
Dataset | Released on 23 September 2022
Quarterly estimates of overseas residents’ visits and spending from the International Passenger Survey, using administrative sources and modelling.
Estimates of UK residents’ visits and spending abroad
Dataset | Released on 23 September 2022
Quarterly estimates of UK residents’ visits and spending abroad from the International Passenger Survey, using administrative sources and modelling.
6. Accuracy of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) estimates
The estimates presented in this article for the whole of 2020 must be treated with particular caution, since the methods used have not been fully scrutinised or tested.
The accuracy of the estimates is expressed in terms of confidence intervals which are shown in the data tables associated with this publication. For more information on how we measure and communicate uncertainty for our surveys, see our Uncertainty and how we measure it page.
Back to table of contents7. Glossary
Visits
The figures relate to the number of completed visits, not the number of visitors. Anyone entering or leaving more than once in the same period is counted on each visit.
Overseas visitor
An overseas visitor is a person who, being permanently resident in a country outside the UK, visits the UK for a period of less than 12 months. UK citizens residing overseas for 12 months or more coming home on leave are included in this category. Visits abroad are visits for a period of less than 12 months by people permanently residing in the UK (who may be of foreign nationality).
Visiting multiple countries
When a resident of the UK has visited more than one country, expenditure and stay are allocated to the country that was stayed in for the longest time.
Miscellaneous visits
Visits for miscellaneous purposes include:
- those for study
- those to attend sporting events
- those for shopping
- health
- religious events
- other purposes
It also includes visits for more than one purpose when none predominates (for example, visits both on business and on holiday). Overseas visitors staying overnight in the UK on their way to other destinations are also included in miscellaneous purposes.
Earnings and expenditure
Earnings refer to spending in the UK by overseas residents, whereas expenditure refers to spending abroad by UK residents.
Back to table of contents8. Measuring the data
The collection of the International Passenger Survey (IPS) data
IPS data are collected by a team of over 200 interviewers who are recruited and trained specifically to work on the IPS. Interviews are carried out at air and sea ports, on-board vessels leaving or returning to the UK, or on-board the Eurotunnel Trains. Interviews are carried out on all days of the year, apart from Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Further guidance is available about the quality of overseas travel and tourism estimates in the IPS QMI report. This report will be updated shortly to reflect recent changes to the survey’s processes.
Back to table of contents10. Cite This Release
Office for National Statistics (ONS), released 23 September 2022, ONS website, statistical bulletin, Overseas travel and tourism, provisional: January to March 2022