UK nationals living abroad visit homeland less – ONS

A dip in the number of foreign nationals coming to see friends and relatives led to an overall fall of one per cent in overseas residents’ visits to the UK last year, the Office for National Statistics said.

Foreign residents made 29.61 million visits to the UK in 2010 compared with 29.9 million in 2009, the ONS remarked.

The number of visits for holiday purposes rose one per cent to 11.57 million while business visits were up three per cent to 6.78 million.

But visits to friends and relatives fell five per cent to 8.35 million, while those coming for miscellaneous reasons fell six per cent to 2.91 million.

Overall visits to the UK by North Americans last year fell seven per cent to 3.33 million, while European visits were down one per cent at just under 22 million. Visits by residents from the rest of the world rose two per cent to 4.32 million.

Despite the fall in North American visitors – traditionally big spenders – the amount spent by foreign residents during their trips to the UK in 2010 – at £16.67 billion – remained around the same as in 2009. The ONS also announced that UK residents made 54.85 million visits abroad last year – six per cent down on the 58.6 million figure of 2009.