The table provides information about the number of travellers to the United Kingdom, the average duration of their stay, and their spending from 2003 to 2008. Overall, most figures show a steady increase over the period, with the exception of the average number of nights stayed, which experienced a slight decline in the final years.
In 2003, the UK received approximately 24.7 million visitors, who collectively spent around £11.9 billion. The number of tourists continued to rise steadily, peaking at 32.8 million in 2007, before experiencing a slight drop to 31.9 million in 2008. A similar trend is observed in total spending, which increased from £11.855 billion in 2003 to £16.002 billion in 2006, then slightly declined to £15.960 billion in 2007, before rising again to reach £16.323 billion in the final year.
As for the average duration of stay, tourists spent an average of 8.2 nights in 2003. This figure rose gradually to 8.4 nights in 2006, before dropping noticeably to 7.7 nights in both 2007 and 2008, indicating a shift toward shorter visits in the latter years.
Conversely, average spending per visit began at £476 in 2003 and experienced minor fluctuations throughout the period. It reached £511 in 2008, the highest figure recorded, suggesting that although tourists stayed for fewer nights, their per-visit expenditure increased.