TORONTO — For the first time ever, Britain has reached the one million mark in Canadian visitors.

According to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), more than one million (1,003,000) Canadian visitors were recorded in 2023, up 12% over 2022 and an increase of 15% since 2019, the year before the pandemic. Canadian visits have also delivered a record spend of £970 million pounds ($1.7 billion), up 4% from 2022 and an increase of 32% since 2019.  

Visiting friends and relatives (VFR) continued to lead in terms of visits from the Canadian market. In 2023, VFR represented 43% of trips, with holidays slightly second at 40%. The holiday market represented a higher spend (47% versus VFR (35%). While overall spend from the Canadian market is up 12% over 2022, spend per visit decreased slightly to £966 per visit in 2023, from £1,042 per night in 2022. Average length of stay for inbound Canadian travellers in 2023 is 10 nights, 2.3 nights higher than the global average of 7.7 nights.

“We are thrilled to see these record-breaking results from Canada. It’s clear that demand for Britain continues to build with Canadians travelling to England, Scotland and Wales throughout the year,” said VisitBritain’s Paul Gauger, Executive Vice President, The Americas, Australia & New Zealand. “Our ‘See Britain Differently’ campaign continues to encourage visitors to explore beyond Britain’s famous landmarks to experience a more unexpected side of Britain through our arts and culture, food and drink, and cities and countryside.”

In 2023, the UK welcomed 38 million inbound visits, still below pre-pandemic levels in 2019 by 7%, but up 21% over 2022. VisitBritain’s latest forecast for 2024 projects that this year, Britain will welcome 38.7 million inbound visits and £32.5 billion spend, 95% and 114% of 2019 levels, respectively. When compared to 2023, this would represent growth of 2% in visits and 5% in nominal spend (2% in real spend). 

For more information go to www.visitbritain.com.