Overseas Travel And Tourism: May 2022 Provisional Results

20th September 2022

There were 2.7 million visits to the UK by overseas visitors in May 2022; this compares with just 86,000 visits by air in May 2021 when there were some travel restrictions in place.

Overseas visitors' visits to the UK in May 2022 were significantly lower than pre-coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic levels, down 21% from 3.4 million in May 2019.

Overseas residents spent £2.1 billion in the UK in April 2022.

UK residents made 6.0 million visits overseas in May 2022; this compares with 287,000 visits by air in May 2021.

UK residents' visits overseas in May 2022 were lower than in May 2019, when there were 8.2 million visits overseas by UK residents (27% decrease).

UK residents spent £4.7 billion while overseas in May 2022.

Trends in visits to the UK by overseas residents
In May 2022, there were an estimated 2.7 million visits to the UK, compared with 86,000 visits by air in May 2021 when some travel restrictions were in force.

Trends in overseas visits by UK residents
May 2022 saw UK residents make 6.0 million visits overseas. This compares with 287,000 visits by air in May last year.

The amount of money UK residents spent in May was £4.7 billion compared with £344 million spent during visits by air in May 2021.

As with visits to the UK, the lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions can explain the large increase in numbers.

There were 8.2 million overseas visits made by UK residents in May 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. These visitors spent an estimated £5.0 billion. In May 2022, visits were 27% down on these numbers and spending was down by 5%.

Visits abroad in April 2022 were 33% down on pre-pandemic levels. The fall in visits in May 2022 compared with pre-pandemic levels has seen an improvement but not as much as visits to the UK detailed in Section 2. This slower growth of UK residents travelling abroad could be influenced by the disruption at airports across the UK caused by staff shortages or by the rising cost of living. This could mean UK residents are more reluctant or less able to go abroad.

The most common reason for UK residents travelling overseas was going on holiday with 64% (3.9 million) of visits being made for this reason. After going on holiday, visiting friends or family was the next most common reason for travel. There were 1.5 million visits made for this reason in May 2022.

Spending by overseas residents in May 2022 was estimated to be £2.1 billion, compared with £134 million spent during visits by air in May 2021.

The large increase in visits can be attributed to the easing of coronavirus (COVID-19) travel restrictions by May 2022, which were still in place in May 2021. Most travel restrictions have now been lifted worldwide.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, travel to and from the UK was severely affected. As most travel restrictions are now lifted, it is worth looking at travel numbers pre-coronavirus to see how the latest figures compare.

In May 2019, there were an estimated 3.4 million visits to the UK with an estimated £2.3 billion being spent. Visits in May 2022 were down by 21% on this figure and spending was down by 10%.

In April 2022, visitor numbers were down 33% on pre-pandemic levels in April 2019. This shows visitor numbers are still short of pre-pandemic levels but are getting nearer.

Holiday visits are back to the top of the list for reasons people visited the UK, with 1.0 million visits being made for this reason. This is 38% of the total. The next most common reason was visiting friends or relatives at 34%. This was the most popular reason for travel during the coronavirus pandemic.

Note
Read the full report from the Office for National statistics at https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/bulletins/overseastravelandtourism/may2022provisionalresults