The graphs illustrate the number of visitors to the UK from France and North America for holiday and business purposes over a one-year period, measured in millions.
Overall, holiday travel was considerably more popular than business travel throughout the year. In addition, North American visitors generally outnumbered French visitors, particularly in the holiday category. While the figures for holidaymakers peaked in mid-year, business visits showed more fluctuations.
Regarding holiday travel, the number of visitors from North America rose dramatically from approximately 0.8 million in January to a peak of 3 million in July. Thereafter, the figure declined steadily, reaching around 0.7 million by December. In contrast, the number of French holidaymakers increased more gradually, from about 0.9 million at the beginning of the year to 1.5 million in July, before falling moderately to roughly 0.9 million at the end of the period.
As for business travel, North American visitors started at 0.15 million and climbed steadily to 0.3 million in May. After dropping to 0.2 million in August, the figure recovered and reached a second peak of 0.35 million in October before ending the year at 0.25 million. Similarly, the number of business travellers from France rose from 0.05 million to 0.2 million in May, fell to 0.1 million in August, and then increased again to 0.2 million in October. Despite these fluctuations, it finished the year at only 0.1 million.