ONS figures reveal drop in overseas travel
Overseas visits from the UK dropped 4% in the three months to January 2012, compared to the previous year.
Latest ONS travel and tourism figures showed spending by UK residents abroad has also fallen, by 2%.
Over a 12-month period, visits abroad by UK residents have risen by 1%, but spending has fallen by 2%.
Meanwhile, international visits to the UK fell 1% in the three-month period, with a 5% drop in spending.
In the past year, however, things are looking more positive, with visits to the UK up by 4% and earnings up by 6%.
Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays Corporate said: "In this Olympic and Jubilee year, the UK continues to attract increasing numbers of tourists, with visitors to the UK up 4% in the past 12 months.
"As enthusiasm starts to build ahead of this summer’s festivities, early indications from our clients in the hotel industry suggest that bookings are looking strong from international and domestic travellers alike.
"With unemployment still high, however, outbound travel figures are stagnating year on year. All eyes are now on next week’s Budget and just what it has in store for the consumer purse."
by Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season