London Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 3 November 2025

London, a city known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and iconic landmarks, ranging from the historic walls of the Tower of London to the modern marvel that is the London Eye, has consistently ranked as a top tourist destination worldwide.

How many people visit London each year?

Over 20 million people visit London each year, making it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.

• London welcomed 20.95 million international visitors in 2024 (year ending December).

• Compared to 2022, when there were 16.13 million visitors, the 2024 figures represented a 29.8% increase.

• This also marked an increase from 2020’s 3.70 million visitors (approximately 466%) and from 2021’s 2.72 million visitors (about 670%).

• Despite this recovery, 2024 visitor numbers were still approximately 3.5% lower than the 21.71 million visitors in 2019 and 2017.¹

How many people visited London in 2024?

London welcomed 20.95 million international visitors in 2024. 

• This represented a 3.5% decrease compared to  2019 and a 3.3% increase compared to 2023.

2024 Quarter	International Visitors	% changevs.2019	% changevs. 2023
Q1	4,836,000	6%	15%
Q2	5,591,000	4%	5%
Q3	N/A	N/A	N/A
Q4	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total	10,427,000	5%	10%

How many people visited London in 2023?

In 2023, London welcomed 20.28 million international visitors, marking a 25.7% increase compared to 2022 (16.13 million visitors). 

• Despite this recovery, the figure was still 6.6% lower than the 21.71 million visitors recorded in 2019.

How much do visitors spend in London each year?

Tourists spend an average of £17 billion annually in London, reflecting its position as a global hub for travel and commerce.

• International visitors spent £17.29 billion in London in 2024 (year ending December).

• 2024’s tourist spending marked a 3.5% increase from 2023’s £16.7 billion.

• This amount not only reflected a rebound from the pandemic lows of £2.56 billion in 2020 and £2.69 billion in 2021 but also surpassed pre-pandemic spending.

• In 2024, spending increased by 10.1% to £17.29 billion compared to £15.70 billion in 2019 and also saw a 6.3% rise from the 2017 peak of £16.27 billion.

How much did visitors to London spend in 2024?

International visitors spent £17.29 billion in London in 2024 (year ending December).

• This represented a 10.1% increase compared to 2019 and a 3.5% rise compared to 2023.

How much did visitors to London spend in 2023?

In 2023, total spending reached £16.7 billion, reflecting an 18% increase from 2022 (£14.15 billion).This was also a 6.4% increase compared to 2019 pre-pandemic spending (£15.7 billion).

Which country visits London the most?

Over the years, from pre-pandemic to post-pandemic, the USA remained the largest source of London’s international tourism.

France has been the second-largest source of visitors, although recent years have seen an increase in tourists from the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

• In 2019, the U.S. led with 3.09 million visitors, followed by France with 1.8 million, Germany with 1.5 million, Italy with 1.4 million, and Ireland rounding out the top five with 1.2 million visitors.

• By 2021, the U.S. maintained its lead despite a decrease to 390,000 visitors, with France at 327,000, Ireland at 213,000, Spain at 175,000, and Germany at 168,000.

• In 2023, the USA led with 3.47 million visits, followed by France with 1.56 million, Germany with 1.48 million, Spain with 1.11 million, and Italy with 1.09 million visitors. ²

How many nights do international tourists spend in London?

• In 2024, a total of 116.57 million nights were spent in London by international visitors. This represented a 1.6% decline from 118.43 million nights in 2019, but a slight 0.7% increase from 115.79 million nights in 2023.

How popular is London as a tourist destination?

• London has consistently ranked as the top destination for both international and domestic visitors in the UK over the years and from 2019 to 2022.³

• In 2024, on a global scale, it was the 3rd highest-ranked city for international arrivals, with only Bangkok and Istanbul surpassing it. ⁴

UK Travel Resources

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Tourism

• In the first quarter of 2020 (January to March), before lockdowns began, London received over 3.7 million tourist visits.
  • This figure represented a 91% decrease from the comparable pre-pandemic period in 2019. Tourism continued to decline in 2021, with the city hosting 2.7 million visitors, which was 93% fewer than in 2019.

• Tourism revenue markedly dropped as well, falling from £15.73 billion in 2019 to £2.56 billion in 2020, and slightly recovering to £2.70 billion in 2021.
  • These figures indicated a decrease of 84% and 83% respectively in revenue over these two years.

When is the best time to visit London?

• The best time to visit London is during the summer, in June, July, and August.
  In London, January and February are the coldest months while November sees the most rainfall.

• For those looking to avoid crowds, the shoulder seasons (mid-September to November and March to April) are less busy, offering a more relaxed experience.

Who visits London the most?

• In 2024, London attracted the highest number of visitors aged 25–34 (5.18 million), followed by 35-44 (4.61 million) and 45-54 (4.14 million)

• Younger visitors aged 16-24 (2.55 million) and 55-64 (2.67 million) also made up a notable share.

• Children (0-15: 0.35 million) and seniors (65 or over: 1.27 million) represented the smallest visitor groups.

Why do tourists visit London?

In 2024, London attracted tourists for numerous reasons, with leisure vacations topping the list.

• Approximately 10.92 million people, accounting for over half (52.1%) of all visits, chose London as their holiday destination. Following closely, the desire to visit friends and relatives motivated 5.13 million journeys, making up 24.5% of the total visits.

• Business trips also contributed significantly, bringing in 3.32 million visitors, which was 15.8% of the annual total. 

• Apart from these main reasons, London hosted around 1.59 million additional travellers (7.6% of the year’s total) for varied reasons. These included attending sporting events, shopping excursions, medical visits, religious activities, and trips with multiple purposes.

International vs Domestic Tourism Statistics

• London welcomed 21.71 million international tourists in 2019 who spent a total of £15.73 billion, alongside 12.15 million domestic tourists who contributed approximately £3.04 billion to the local economy. 

• In 2023, 20.28 million international visitors spent £16.7 billion, while 15.06 million domestic visitors spent only £4.83 billion.

• By 2024, International visitor volume increased by 3.3% to 20.95 million and spending also increased by 3.5% to £17.29 billion. Domestic visitor volume decreased by 7.3% to 13.96 million, but total spending increased by 13.9% to £5.5 billion.

How long do tourists stay in London?

International visitors consistently spent more nights in London compared to domestic visitors. 

• In 2016, international tourists stayed for a total of 111 million nights, while domestic tourists spent 26.34 million nights.

• The following year, 2017, international nights slightly increased to 114 million, and domestic stays rose to 27.84 million.

• The trend for international tourists dipped slightly in 2018 with 110 million total nights, but domestic tourists slightly increased their stays to 27.89 million nights.

• 2019 marked the highest stay for international tourists, recording 118 million nights, whereas domestic tourists spent 28.47 million nights.

Top Attractions in London (2024)

• British Museum: 6.48 million visitors
• Natural History Museum (South Kensington): 6.3 million visitors
• The National Gallery: 6.21 million visitors
• Tate Modern: 4.6 million visitors
• Southbank Centre: 3.73 million visitors

How many people visit the British Museum every year? 

The British Museum has consistently been a top destination, ranking as the number one most-visited free attraction in London according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

• The British Museum recorded 6.48 million visitors in 2024, representing a 4% increase from 6.23 million visitors in 2019 and 11.3% increase from 5.82 million visitors in 2023.

• During the pandemic, attendance dropped by 79% to approximately 1.28 million in 2020.

• Recovery began in 2022 with 4.1 million visitors and in 2023, the figure rose to 5.82 million.

How many people visit Big Ben every year?

Big Ben attracts up to 5 million visitors annually, making it one of the most highly visited landmarks in the world.⁵

• Before the pandemic, Big Ben was the most Instagrammed tourist spot, with over 2.5 million tags by 2017.

How many people visit the London Eye every year?

The London Eye records over 3.5 million visitors per year, making it one of the most paid tourist attractions in the United Kingdom. 

• In 2016, the London Eye was ranked as the third most popular attraction among London residents, accounting for 65% of visits.⁶

• Between 2014 and 2015, international visitors comprised 43% of the total, while domestic visitors made up 25%.⁷

UK Travel Statistics Resources

• United Kingdom Statistics
  • Edinburgh Statistics
  • Glasgow Statistics
  • Oxford Statistics
  • Scotland Statistics

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References

1. VIsitBritain: Inbound Visits and Spend: Annual/Regional ↩︎
2. VisitBritain: Inbound Visits and Spend: Trends by UK Town ↩︎
3. ONS: Visitors to London ↩︎
4. EuroMonitor: Top 100 City Destinations for 2023 ↩︎
5. HC: Exploring the Popularity of Big Ben ↩︎
6. YouGov: Domestic Visits: 2016 ↩︎