In 2004 it is seen a rise in visits to the UK from 25.2 million in 2000 to 27.8 million in 2004, comparing with 2001 which faced a dramatic fell. Also the spendings increased from £12.8 billion in 2002 to £13.0 billion in 2004.
In 2006 and 2007 it is registered an all-time record in visits made to the UK by overseas residents with a number of 32.7 million visitors and 32.8 million, keeping a constant level with a difference of 1 million between 2006 and 2007. Also the expenses and earning from overseas residents in the UK increased to a record £16.0 billion in 2006 remaining unchanged in 2007. It is seen a substantially increase in visits from European countries like Germany, France, Poland, and Spain in the past few years.
In 2008 the number overseas residents that visited UK fell 2.7 per cent making a slightly difference between the growth that was registered two years before. Despite this, the year started in a positive way, the visits made to the UK by overseas residents rising with over 6 per cent in visits made and the spending reached the record level. Also visits made to friends, family and holiday grew slightly in 2008, meanwhile business visits made by both Europe and North America faced a decline.
Even though the top spot of the visits made to the UK is took by France followed by the Irish Republic, USA and Germany, countries that once use to be high rate visitors to the UK like Australia and India and many other fell dramatically.
In the next year is seen an increase in visits to the UK for holiday, especially a growth in visits made by European residents. Sources like ‘Mintel’ estimates a number 11.2 million visitors, France residents being again the top spot in visits to UK.
In the last reports from the International Passenger Survey that shows the tourism in the UK by overseas visitors it is seen that in the last three months from June to September 2010 is a seasonally adjusted compared with April to June 2010. The estimated number of overseas visitors to UK increasing with 1 per cent to 7.4 million compared with 2 per cent incretion in the previous three months, April to June 2010, and overall compared with the three months to September 2009.
According to the Office for National Statistics number of overseas visitors to UK was compared from 2.48 million visits registered in September 2010 compared with nearly 2.56 million in September 2009. A decrease by 3 per cent is seen in earnings to £ 4.1 billion.
The expenditures and earning in 2010 concerning the seasonally adjusted three months to September, and the previous three months, from April to June, the recorded spending by overseas residents visiting the UK increased with 1 per cent to £ 7.9 billion. The deficit resulted to the UK is £ 3.8 billion compared with £ 3.7 billion from July to September 2009.
In conclusion, presenting the last situation offered by the ONS reports UK is facing a deficit of £ 14.5 billion which represents spending made by overseas residents coming to the UK compared with £ 16.2 billion during the same period to September 2009.
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