The UK government has been accused of undermining its tourism industry after a report revealed that international visitors spent £2.2 billion less in 2024 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, even though the overall sector experienced growth.
This is according to a report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), a London-based global tourism body.
The report found that tourists spent £40.3 billion in the UK last year, a 5.3% decline compared to 2019, even as global tourism recovers.
Despite the dip in spending, the broader travel and tourism sector contributed £286 billion to the UK economy, representing a 3.9% increase from 2019. The sector also supported 4.2 million jobs across the country in 2024.
Deliberate policy choices
Julia Simpson, President of the WTTC and a former adviser to ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair, directly blamed UK government policies for the decline.
She pointed to a series of administrative and tax-related hurdles that have made the UK less attractive to international travellers.
“These included introducing electronic travel authorisations, digital permits, lack of tax-free shopping, and increasing air passenger duty,” Simpson told the PA news agency.
Simpson criticised the lack of attention given to travel and tourism. He pointed out that while the UK government is focused on rescuing other industries, it has failed to prioritise tourism despite its significant contribution to the economy.
“This government is all about growth. They’re looking at how to make money. They are trying to save steel plants. They are looking to see what we can do about our water companies.
Yet here we have a private sector enterprise; travel and tourism contributing 10 per cent of UK GDP, creating jobs, but we are not prioritising it in any way,” he said.
UK trailing behind global recovery
Simpson also noted that while other parts of the world are seeing tourism spend rebound, the UK has not returned to its pre-pandemic performance.
“The UK has not gotten back to where it needs to be (on spending by international visitors), whereas the rest of the world has,” she said
According to her, the UK is losing value share when compared to European peers like France and Spain.
The WTTC President also stressed the need for a stronger marketing push to drive tourism across UK regions.
“You need to sell the UK. You need to sell Harry Potter. You need to sell Jane Austen. You need to sell Richard III.
“It’s really important that you create stories about the UK so that international visitors come to all our regions,” Simpson added.
She argued that boosting the tourism industry requires top-level leadership and said, “Boosting UK tourism needed to be led by the prime minister.”
Government defends tourism strategy
In response to the WTTC’s findings, a UK government spokesperson defended its position, highlighting the country’s global appeal.
“The UK is one of the most visited countries in the world, and international tourism drives billions into its economy.
“We are supporting the continued growth of this industry and will be launching a national visitor economy strategy,” the UK government stated.
The government also revealed plans that this autumn will contribute toward achieving its long-term goal for international visitors.
The goal is at driving sustained growth in the sector and achieving the target of attracting 50 million international visitors to the UK annually by 2030.
