The UK’s inbound tourism industry is expecting a resilient summer season, with new research suggesting many businesses are forecasting stable or improving visitor demand despite ongoing economic and geopolitical challenges.
According to the latest UKinbound Business Barometer, almost two-thirds of tourism businesses expect bookings, visitor numbers and customer demand between July and September to either match or exceed last year’s performance. One-third of respondents anticipate activity will remain broadly in line with 2025, while nearly three in 10 are predicting further growth.
Financial performance is also expected to remain robust. Around a third of businesses believe revenues will hold steady over the summer, while a similar proportion forecast increased yields, reflecting continued confidence in international demand for UK destinations and experiences.
Looking beyond the peak season, sentiment has strengthened significantly compared with earlier this year. Half of the businesses surveyed said they are confident about bookings, visitor revenue and customer orders over the next 12 months, marking a notable increase from the previous Business Barometer.
Businesses attributed the improved outlook to healthy advance bookings, continued demand from international group travel and a growing pipeline of enquiries extending into 2027, suggesting confidence is returning across key overseas markets.
The findings are also likely to be welcomed by the UK’s meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector. Increased international visitor numbers and stronger group travel demand could provide additional opportunities for venues, hotels and event organisers that rely on overseas delegates and corporate travel.
However, the picture is not consistent across every market. While some tourism businesses reported continued growth from visitors travelling from the United States, others identified the US as their weakest-performing international market, highlighting the varied impact of economic conditions and changing travel patterns.
Joss Croft OBE, Chief Executive of UKinbound, said the latest findings demonstrate the sector’s resilience but stressed that maintaining long-term growth will require continued government support.
He said the visitor economy remains one of the UK’s largest export industries, generating billions of pounds in international spending while supporting jobs and businesses across every region. With renewed political leadership in place, he believes there is an opportunity to strengthen the UK’s international competitiveness and ensure inbound tourism plays a central role in future economic growth.
The full UKinbound Business Barometer is available via the organisation’s website.
Photo by John Bakator on Unsplash
