UK visitors fall says report
Twice as many UK residents travel abroad as overseas residents visit the UK, according to a report published today.
Travel Trends, published by the Office of National Statistics, reports that in 1999 the number of visitors to the UK fell by more than 1% - the first time there's been a drop since the Gulf War in 1991.
Both the number of visitors, 25.4 million, and the amount they spent, £12.5b, dropped by 1.4% between 1998 and 1999. The report blames this decrease on the strong pound making the UK an expensive destination.
Americans made the most visits and spent nearly three times as much as the second highest spenders, the Germans.
The number of UK residents visiting abroad shot up by 6% on the year before to a record 53.9 million. The spending, however, increased 13% to £22b, twice what it was in 1991.
France is still the most popular destination for UK travellers with 11.9 million visits made in 1999, followed by Spain, the Irish Republic, the USA and Greece. Despite a large growth in short break visits in 1999, the Travel Trends report says more than 70% of visits by UK residents abroad lasted for four or more nights.
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