There is a “tourism deficit” to the UK economy, estimated at around £ 13 – 20 billion per year over the past decade. This is the difference in spending (other than on travel tickets) between money spent by visitors to the UK, and the money spent by Brits travelling abroad.
Every year, a great deal more money is spent by UK residents travelling abroad, than by foreign visitors coming here.
Air travel for holidays and leisure comprise a large part of this deficit. For instance, in 2010 the air travel component was £12.4 billion out of a total tourism deficit (including ship and Channel Tunnel) of £14.2 billion – that’s 87%.
In 2011, the air travel component was £11.2 billion, out of the total of £13.3 billion – that’s 84%
These are Tourism Deficit figures from the Government’s own Office for National Statistics, from their Overseas Travel and Tourism reports for the 10 years up to 2020. A;ll in the red for the UK.
2010 - £14.21 billion
2011 - £13.30 billion
2012 - £ 13.80 billion
2013 - £13.6 billion
2014 - £13.7 billion
2015 - £16.9 billion
2016 - £21.3 billion
2017 - £20.3 billion
2018 - £22.5 billion
2019 - £33.9 billion
2020 - £7.6 billion – first year of Covid