The number of overseas travelers who came to the UK for various purposes from 1989 to 2009 is illustrated in the line chart.
Overall, the number of visitors coming to the UK for holidays was consistently the highest throughout the period, while business travel and visits to friends and relatives showed less prominent trends.
As can be seen from the chart, the number of holidaymakers visiting the UK stood at approximately 6 million in the initial year, before escalating to exactly 9 million over the following five years. Over the next decade, this figure dipped slightly to around 6.5 million, then rebounded to a peak of 9 million by the final year.
At the beginning of the period, business travel and visits to friends and relatives were recorded at approximately 5 million and 3.5 million, respectively. Both categories edged up gradually, reaching the same level of 4.5 million in 1994. Over the next ten years, the number of business visitors experienced a significant rise, peaking at 8 million, while the number of people visiting friends and relatives showed an upward trend, reaching 7 million. Subsequently, both categories underwent a modest decline, falling from their respective peaks to 7 million and 6 million by the end of the period.