- 146.6 million visits to major UK venues in 2023, down 11 per cent from 2019
Visits to British tourism sites are below pre-pandemic levels and the Government’s failure to scrap the tourist tax has hit visitor spending, research revealed yesterday.
There were 146.6million visits to major UK venues in 2023, down 11 per cent from 163.9million in 2019 before the pandemic and resulting lockdowns, according to trade figures.
The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) said people were ‘out of the habit’ of visiting museums and galleries since the Covid lockdown restrictions eased.
The cost of living crisis has also affected households’ decisions about how they spend their money.
And the Government’s failure to reverse a 2020 decision to end tax-free shopping for foreign visitors has led to a ‘significant decrease’ in spending at attractions by overseas tourists, Alva said.
The Mail’s Scrap The Tourist Tax campaign has called for an end to the levy, backed by cross-party MPs and more than 500 business leaders.
Alva said: ‘We are absolutely missing out on expensive items being bought by visitors from around the world, particularly from America, the Middle East and the Far East.
‘We know that we’re losing out to places like Paris, Milan, Madrid and Rome.’
The British Museum was the UK’s most popular tourist venue last year with 5.8million visitors going through its doors.
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Vanessa Allen
