inbound
my predecessors did not see tourism as a priority.” However, he rightly noted: “There is a whole set of issues which have a clear effect on tourism where the responsibility lies with the Home Office.” This was made all too clear when, in
January 2025, the Home Office announced an increase in the cost of an ETA from £10 to £16 even as it responded to aviation industry calls to remove transit passengers from the ETA requirements by confirming a trial exemption of passengers transiting via Heathrow or Manchester. The ETA scheme was extended to travellers of 54 nationalities, including the US, in January, having previously applied only to visitors from six Gulf states. It is due to be extended to EU and other European nationalities from early April. The industry reaction was furious.
Tourism Alliance director Richard Toomer described the decision as “staggering” and “a kick in the teeth”. Croft called it “a staggering blow” just as ETA requirements are extended to visitors from Europe, arguing: “International tourism is competitive and the two key motivators to visit a destination are
FIGURE 80: INBOUND VISITORS BY KEY MARKETS
10 15 20 25
0 5
24.8m 22.5m 19m 8.2m
4.5m 2.5m
2019 EU 4.4m
0.76m 0.6m 0.4m
Rest of world
2021 US
4.6m 4.8m
2m 2022 Europe non-EU 7m
5.1m 2.3m
2023 7.3m 2.4m 2024*
All visits *12 months to June 2024 Source: ONS
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
FIGURE 81: TOP-10 INBOUND VISITOR MARKETS, 2023
5.1m 24m 50 40 36.8 35.3 32.7 32.8 30 27.7 20 16.6 16.2 16.9 10 0 9.3 9.7 10.6 10.8 10.9 12 11.9 12.4 12 13 13.9 14.2 14.7
14.4 11.1
6.4 1.2
2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024* *Visits/holidays for 12 months to June 2024
All visits include business and visiting friends & relations (VFR) Source: ONS 12.1 15.9 16.5 30 31.9 31 30.4 31.9 32.2 33.6 31.2 All visits
FIGURE 79: OVERSEAS VISITORS TO UK Holidays
41 39.1 40.3 40.9 38 40
THE NUMBER of international
visitors to the UK has returned close to 2019 levels, but with a significant increase in US visitors (Figures 79, 80 & 81)
value for money and quality of welcome. This damages our standing on both. There is a false assumption that visitors will continue to choose the UK.” The EU’s European Travel Information
and Authorisation System (ETIAS), when finally introduced, will cost €7. The Home Office said the fees, which will also increase for other immigration services, would generate an additional £269 million a year.
3.2m 3m 2.9m 2.2m 2m 1.7m 1.6m 1.2m 1m
Source: ONS
Travel Weekly Insight Report 2025 55
Visitors (million)
Visitors (million)
Visitors (millions)
US France
Germany Irish Republic
Spain Netherlands
Italy Poland
Australia Canada
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