The graph compares the number of foreign travellers that visited the United Kingdom for three different reasons over a twenty-year period from 1989 to 2009.
In general, holiday was the main reason prompting foreign tourists to come to the UK, although its figure fluctuated wildly over the period. In contrast, visitors who travelled to the country for work and to meet acquaintances saw a significant increase over the years.
Looking at the chart in more detail, it is clear that at the beginning of the period, travelling for holiday was the most popular reason, with about 6.5 million foreigners doing so in the UK. This number remained the same in the next two years, before experiencing some fluctuation. Despite some ups and downs, the number of overseas visitors on vacation reached the peak of 9 million in 1994 and 2009, and was at the lowest point of 6.5 million at the start as well as in 2004.
On the other hand, other statistics showed very similar upward trends. At first, foreigners on business trips stood at 5 million in 1989. After a slight drop, this number managed to increase gradually to reach the highest point of 8 million in 2008, before declining marginally to 7 million at the end of the period. Similarly, there were approximately 3.5 million tourists who arrived in the UK to meet friends and family members. Then, this figure experienced a moderate and steady rise, reaching 7 million in 2008, before declining slightly to 6 million in 2009.