The first chart provides data about international tourists’ expenditure in the UK from 1980 to 2010. The second chart breaks down the reasons for their visits into four categories for the years 1980 and 2010.
Firstly, overseas visitors spent the lowest amount of money in 1982, with around 7 billion pounds. Numbers then rose, reaching almost 10 billion in 1990, before falling a few years later. In 1996, international tourists spent 12 billion pounds, more than in any other year. In the following years, the figures fluctuated until 2010.
Regarding reasons for visiting, the main motivation was holiday, accounting for around 40% in both 1980 and 2010. It is also noticeable that the remaining categories had similar percentages in 1980, but experienced significant changes by 2010. The proportion of tourists visiting friends or traveling for business grew, while the “Other” category decreased.
Overall, the amount of money spent by overseas visitors increased between 1980 and 2010, despite fluctuations over the years. In contrast, the reasons for visiting changed slightly over the 30-year period, with noticeable growth in the categories of business and visiting friends or relatives.