The UK's top 20 most popular destinations for overseas tourists

According to Office for National Statistics, Brighton is the most popular UK seaside destination for foreign tourists.

16:11 13 May 2014

The Office for National Statistics has released UK’s top 20 most popular destinations for overseas tourists with Edinburgh on the top spot. The highest ranking seaside destination was Brighton. 

 

According to new figures, there were more than 400,000 overseas visitors who stayed at least one night in the East Sussex city in 2013. 

 

The overall list (which excludes London) was dominated by Edinburgh, Manchester, and Birmingham. 

 

2013 was a great year for UK tourism industry as it recorded the highest number of overseas tourists. Meanwhile, spending last year was recorded as highest since the International Passenger Survey (IPS) began in 1961. 

 

Emma Gray, Director of Marketing Services at Marketing Birmingham, said: 

 

'Traditionally we’ve been known as a national destination with visitors coming from across the UK for our shopping, food and attractions. 

 

'This is now widening and Birmingham is on the international map.

 

'We also like to think that our range of attractions and our reputation for being a city of food, our shops and our warm welcome are noticed and all make a real difference to how we are perceived overseas.'

 

The top 20 UK travel hotspots for foreign tourists (excluding London): 

 

1. Edinburgh (1,303,000)

2. Manchester (988,000)

3. Birmingham (941,000)

4. Liverpool (562,000)

5. Glasgow (515,000)

6. Oxford (456,000)

7. Bristol (428,000)

8. Brighton/Hove (409,000)

9. Cambridge (404,000)

10. Leeds (299,000)

11. Cardiff (297,000)

12. Bath (283,000)

13. York (271,000)

14. Nottingham (247,000)

15. Aberdeen (241,000)

16. Inverness (226,000)

17. Southampton (218,000)

18. Newcastle (201,000)

19. Reading (193,000)

20. Canterbury (177,000)