Brits Taking Fewer Trips Abroad As Hard Times Hit

Brits Taking Fewer Trips Abroad As Hard Times Hit

Hard times are taking their toll on UK tourists, according to official travel figures.

UK residents are continuing to take fewer overseas trips and to spend less while they are away, according to Office for National Statistics figures.

In contrast, the number of visits to the UK by overseas residents has increased this year, as has their spending.

Latest figures show that the number of overseas visits by UK residents fell from just under 5.22 million in October 2010 to 5.09 million this October.

The amount spent on these foreign trips by UK residents fell from £2.83 billion in October 2010 to £2.76 billion in October this year.

For the first 10 months of this year, Britons made 49.54 million visits abroad - unchanged on the January-October 2010 period, but down for the third time in the last four months.

Spending by UK residents while on trips overseas in the first 10 months of this year is down 4% at £27.46 billion.

Foreign residents made 2.77 million visits to the UK in October 2011, spending more than £1.67 billion. This compared with just over 2.72 million visits in October last year, when spending totalled just under £1.64 billion.

For this year so far, overseas residents have made 26.1 million visits to the UK - a 3% rise on the same period in 2010.

These foreign visitors have spent £14.86 billion during their UK trips - a 4% rise on the January-October 2010 figure.

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