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Studying tourism at school, college or university

Studying tourism at school, college or university? We’ve gathered a wealth of information and insights about Britain’s tourism industry just for you – from visitor trends and key demographics, to the laws that govern our industry.

Discover the big facts and figures: whether you want to know the value of England’s visitor economy, or the financial impact of our overseas marketing campaigns, you’ll find it all right here. If you’re considering a career in tourism, take a look at our internships – including both short-and long-term opportunities.

As you can imagine, we get lots of questions and so, regrettably, we are unable to assist students with individual enquiries. However, we have gathered lots of resources here to assist you.

The 3 basic types of tourism in Britain

Domestic tourism 

The travel and activities of a visitor within their country of residence, for example, a Briton visiting other parts of Britain.

Inbound tourism 

The travel and activities of a visitor who has come from overseas, for example, a Spaniard visiting Britain.

Outbound tourism 

The travel and activities of a resident visitor outside their country of residence, for example a Briton visiting Spain.

Useful resources for students

Explore how Britain’s tourism industry is organised both nationally and locally.

VisitBritain/Rod Edwards

A group of people in a restaurant in Brighton, eating in the open air at Fishy Fishy restaurant.

Learn more about our structure, our priorities, our senior team and our global network.

Getty Images/E+/SolStock

A shot of a diverse family walking in the countryside.

Our purpose is to drive a thriving tourism industry, creating economic prosperity across Britain.

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Male cafe owner smiling at his phone in front of the counter in the restaurant

Discover our return on investment, campaign reach and contribution to the economy – and download our annual reports.

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Young woman smiling, behind a counter in a record shop, with the till and card reader in front of her

Find the latest consumer and industry data on domestic and inbound travel to the UK.

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Male cafe owner smiling at his phone in front of the counter in the restaurant

Find out about the types of overnight and day trips consumers consider taking over the key bank holidays, including motivations and barriers they encounter when planning trips.

VisitBritain/Rama Knight

Family enjoying ice cream at Cardiff Bay
VisitEngland

Expand the distribution and sales of your tourism product, or earn commission via the affiliate scheme and travel trade discounts on over 500 British experiences available to book online.

Red Bike Tours

Old london Tour
VisitBritain

Got a query? Explore the answers to our most-asked questions.

VisitBritain/TAG

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Tourism in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Frequently asked questions

  • All of our resources are available online. We are unable to send out any printed material for school projects or other purposes. If you would like to purchase a map of Britain or a particular area, head to the VisitBritain shop.

  • Our consumer website, visitbritain.com, is a great place to start – offering advice on planning your trip to the UK, as well as inspirational ideas about places to visit and things to do. If you have a query related to visas, contact UK Visas and Immigration.

  • Our research and insights hub provides data on the latest inbound visitor volume and spend figures to Britain. You can also use our databases to find specific values for a particular market or period of time. For more information on a certain market, our market section digs deeper into Britain’s inbound tourism markets. We publish reports on various topics, as well as media updates and press releases on a regular basis.

  • For domestic tourism statistics visit our research and insights hub, which features detailed information about the value of tourism in England. You can download the latest monthly and annual data from the Great British Tourism Survey (GBTS) and Great Britain Day Visits Survey (GBDVS). 

Fancy a career in tourism?

Shutterstock / Foxy burrow

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If you’re interested in work experience or internships, check out our Careers section. We offer both short- and long-term placements in various areas of our business – including marketing, PR, communications and e-commerce. You’ll gain valuable experience, top-quality contacts and a head start on your dream career.

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