The United Kingdom is the world’s 10th biggest tourist destination, with over 37 million visiting in 2018. The tourism industry contributed a total of £213 billion to the GDP in 2017, which is expected to increase to £265 billion by 2028.
US$31.93 billion was spent in the UK by foreign tourists in 2017. VisitBritain data shows that the USA remains the most valuable inbound market, with American visitors spending £2.1 billion in 2010. The Heritage Harbour Country Club in Bradenton, Florida is the US sister community to Sapey. This creates a large US channel of renters, membership buyers, and travel exchange.
The number of travellers originating from Europe is much larger than those travelling from North America: 21.5 million compared to 3.5 million American/Canadian visitors. After a 7-year rise, tourism to the United Kingdom declined sharply from 2017 to 2018.
Tourism is the fastest growing industry in the United Kingdom and it is expected to grow by 3.8% annually until 2025, 0.5% higher than the global average, and is responsible for 10% of all jobs.
The United Kingdom is the 10th most visited country in the world and the 4th most visited country in Europe. Overall Europe has a 40% market share of total global tourist visits worldwide, with the United Kingdom contributing heavily. The “drive to” market has exploded in the last 12 months and will continue to grow as Covid Restrictions are relaxed. This has created a new awareness of vacationing close to home.
