Sergi Jarques

Destination Research

VisitEngland Advisor

Tourism Business Conference 2025

Tourism trends and prospects

Sergi Jarques, Destination Research Ltd

October 2025

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Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Introduction

2003

2011

2025

2014

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Introduction

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VisitEngland Destination Research Group

LVEP Data and Research Working group

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Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Inbound performance and outlook

Inbound visits in 2024 – national overview

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• 43m inbound trips to the UK, up 12% vs 2023
• Spend from those trips reached £32bn, up 5% vs 2023
• Average expenditure per trip and length of stay down year-on-year

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Tourism Trends and Prospects – Inbound performance and outlook

Inbound visits in 2024 – national overview

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• Visit to friends and relatives (VFR) led the recovery with over 40% of the additional trips between 2023 and 2024.
• Downside is that VFR attracts a lower average spend per visit

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£951

Average spend per visit

HOLIDAY

£579

Average spend per visit

VFR

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Inbound performance and outlook

Inbound visits in 2024 – East of England overview

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• 2024: Inbound trips to the region up 8% vs 2023
• Spend from those trips reached £18.2bn, up 14% vs 2023
• Length of stay was up vs 2023
• But average spend per visit was down year-on-year

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Tourism Trends and Prospects – Inbound markets: USA

From US Government perspective

• US imposing tariffs on foreign imports leading to less trade, fewer business travellers (the least price-sensitive market) and in turn, either higher fares for leisure travellers or a trimmed route network (or both).

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From the UK Government perspective

• Introduction of Electronic Travel Authorisation (£16, up 60%)
• Air Passenger Duty (£102 economy class and £244 premium cabin)
• 41% cut to VisitBritain’s GREAT Campaign funding
• Visitor VISA fees up 10%

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Looking ahead to 2026

• Visiting intentions lower than in previous years
• US celebrates 250th anniversary signing of Declaration of Independence
• US / Canada / Mexico hosts the World Cup.

Source: International Passenger Survey (2024)

The USA is the region’s most valuable inbound source market.

• Latest data shows 195k visits to the East of England, £168m and £860 spend per person and visit.

Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Ipswich Town Centre’s Wild Walls - www.visiteastofengland.com

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey: Domestic Day and Overnight Visits 2024

Tourism day trips in 2024

A decline in visits in England (-12%) after an 8% year-on-year increase in 2023.

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Spend on tourism day trips in England up 6% on 2023, on top of a 15% year-on-year increase in 2023.

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The East of England experienced lower dip in volume of trips (-2%) between 2023 and 2024, but a small decrease in spend (-1%) in the same period. 

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Overnight trips (2024):

A decline in visits in England (-10%) although an increase in spend (+16%)

The dip in trip volumes mainly affected holiday visits, less so VFR or business.

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The East of England experienced the lowest dip in volume of trips compared to all other regions, the highest increase in trip spend (+18%), and the highest increase in night volume (+4%). 

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Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey: Domestic Day and Overnight Visits 2024

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Domestic Overnight trips

Day trips

2025 outlook: So far, the volume of day trips and expenditure are up on 2024.

The region recorded a year-on-year decline in the volume of overnight trips but an increase in spend

Source: Great Britain Tourism Survey: Domestic Day and Overnight Visits Q2-2025

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

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What the data suggests:

• A resilient market, where fewer trips are generating higher spend per visit.
• This may point to a shift towards more premium, longer, higher-value stays.

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But another interpretation is…

• The dip in trip volumes (-1%) mainly affected holiday visits, less so VFR or business.
• The 18% increase in spend may reflect rising costs, with some visitors paying more for the same holiday.
• Price-sensitive travellers may be dropping out altogether, choosing cheaper alternatives like VFR stays.

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Overall insight:

• The emphasis is less on people trading up to ‘premium’ holidays, and more on holidaymakers ‘clinging on’ to their standard breaks but being forced to spend more to experience them.

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Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Cost of living: Public concern over the cost of living peaked sharply in spring 2025 before easing back to more moderate but still persistent levels

Question: Regarding the ‘cost of living crisis’ in the UK and the way it is going to change in the coming few months, which of the following best describes your opinion? Source: VisitEngland Domestic Sentiment Tracker

• The worst is still to come
• Things are going to stay the same
• The worst has passed

Perception – changes to cost-of-living crisis in coming months.

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Reasons why UK adults choose a domestic rather than overseas trips.

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• Easier to plan, less travel time and cheaper than overseas trips

Source: VisitEngland Domestic Sentiment Tracker

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Barriers: The top potential barriers to taking overnight UK trips in the next 6 months (excluding weather) are all cost-related (rising cost of living, cost of holiday / leisure and, personal finances)

Question: Which, if any, of the following factors do you see as potential barriers to you taking a UK short break or holiday in the next six months?

Source: VisitEngland Domestic Sentiment Tracker

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Price and affordability: Impact of the ‘cost-of-living’ on UK day and overnight trips.

Overnight trips

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• Choose cheaper accommodation (23%)

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• Spend less on eating out (23%)

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• Look for more ‘free things’ to do (22%)

Day trips

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• Spend less on eating out (22%)

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• Look for more ‘free things’ to do (21%)

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• Take fewer day trips (20%)

Question: Why are you more likely to choose a UK trip than an overseas trip? / Why are you more likely to choose an overseas trip than a UK trip?

Source: VisitEngland Domestic Sentiment Tracker

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Consumer sentiment summary:

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It’s encouraging to see many of us planning domestic breaks, but the latest research shows that the cost of living remains a concern.

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The question is…could further price rises continue without significant losses in visitor numbers, is there a tipping point?

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• Further increases in price will start to have a much greater impact on the volume of trips and secondary spend.
• It’s in everyone’s interest to avoid pricing out the more price-sensitive market

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While people are still keen to take a break, many are booking late, taking shorter breaks wanting to save on accommodation, activities and eating out, adding more pressure to businesses and destinations.

Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

For most businesses 2024 was a year of steady but not significant growth.

• Effects of the cost-of-living crisis on consumer spending
• Increasing business costs and less discretionary spend
• The increased National Insurance costs
• Decrease in the Employer Allowance threshold
• Raising the rate of national minimum wage

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Consequences for industry:

• Effectively wiped-out planned surpluses for many attractions (and tourism businesses in general)
• Derailed their investment plans
• For some, these unbudgeted unanticipated costs resulted in cuts and job losses.

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Source: VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2024 / Association of Leading Visitor Attractions / Tourism, Leisure & Hospitality Business Survey 2024 (Larking Gowen)

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Actions that boosted visits among the highest performing attractions included:

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• Increased opening times

• Popular / temporary/ new exhibitions

• Extended/ enhanced facilities – exhibition spaces, play areas, catering facilities

• Increased PR / Marketing activity: TV/ News / Film coverage; Targeted / increased social media presence

• New focused staffing positions

• Investment / funding

For sites where year on year visit volumes were down the most, key drivers included:

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• Closures – planned and unplanned

• Reduced opening times

• Less successful programming in 2024

• Change in pricing structure

Source: VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Trends in England 2024

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Source: Tourism, Leisure & Hospitality Business Survey 2024 (Larking Gowen)

Response to national living wage (NLW) increase

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• Increasing their prices
• Absorbing the hit through lower profit
• Cutting staff, marketing, and refurbishment

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• Only a few are looking at growth
• Some even fearing contraction or closure

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Source: Tourism, Leisure & Hospitality Business Survey 2024 (Larking Gowen)

Six in ten businesses plan to invest in site improvements, marketing, or customer experience.

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At the same time, many are considering cutbacks due to wage and cost pressures.

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Introduction

Seething Control Tower Museum - www.visiteastofengland.com

Latest performance and outlook

Consumer sentiment

Business performance and sentiment

Conclusions and Q&A

Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Summary:

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• The region is performing better than the national average but we still need more holiday visitors
• Cost-of-living and behavioural shifts as the big headwinds
• The overnight stay market is particularly vulnerable to cost-of-living pressures, with many travellers opting for shorter trips or day visits
• The planned measures to improve performance show that a majority of businesses are heading in the right direction strategically (site improvements, marketing, experience), aligning well with proven success drivers.
• But with cost-of-living and wage pressures many may be forced to scale back the very investments most linked to stronger performance.

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Tourism Trends and Prospects – Domestic trends, sentiment and outlook

Way forward:

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Communicating value is essential - Audiences want to feel their visit is worth the spend

• Flexible pricing and discounts
• Targeted promotions for shoulder seasons and midweek stays.
• Accommodation providers need to emphasise affordability, flexibility

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Marketing investment drives growth -Those who increased marketing spend in 2024 often saw stronger returns.

• Digital visibility - digital platforms and user-generated content
• Online and mobile-friendly booking

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Programming matters – Those performing well tend to have strong programme of activities

• Family activities, new exhibits, pop-ups, and special events (attractions)
• Targeted promotions for shoulder seasons and midweek stays (accommodation)

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Investing in quality - Secure long-term gain and better guest experience

• Upgrading facilities and consistent service standards to improve satisfaction and reviews
• Sustainability measures - appeal to conscious consumers and reduces long-term operating costs.

Tourism trends and prospects

Sergi Jarques, Destination Research Ltd

October 2025

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