UK tourism numbers drop but trips abroad jump, ONS says

Tourist and business traveller numbers to the UK fell 5% in October, according to official figures released on Thursday, with spending falling by 8%.

For the three months ending in October, overseas visits were down 1% year-on-year to 10.2m, the Office for National Statistics said, with holiday numbers dropping 2% offset by business trips increasing 2%.

In October alone, UK visits abroad jumped 10% on last year and Brits spent £4bn during these trips, an increase of 17% compared with last year.

For the three-month period, Uk trips overseas grew by 9%, which was partly driven by a 6% increase in the number of holidays taken, while expenditure on these visits rose 11%.