View source for Tourism in England

{{Short description|none}}
{{update|inaccurate=yes|date=February 2023}}
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[[File:London Eye - tunliweb.no.JPG|thumb|upright=1.5|The [[London Eye]] observation wheel is the most popular paid [[Tourist attractions in the United Kingdom|tourist attraction in the United Kingdom]] with over 3&nbsp;million visitors annually.<ref name=history>{{cite news|title=The London Eye a complete visitor guide|url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/london/10801520/London-Eye-complete-visitor-guide.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=1 May 2014}}</ref>]]
{{Culture of England}}

Tourism plays a significant part in the economy of [[England]]. In 2018, the [[United Kingdom]] as a whole was the world's 10th most visited country for tourists,<ref name="WTO Tourism Highlights 2019 Edition">{{Cite web|url=https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284421152|title=International Tourism Highlights, 2019 Edition|website=www.e-unwto.org|doi=10.18111/9789284421152}}</ref> and 17 of the United Kingdom's 25 [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]] fall within England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tripsavvy.com/unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-the-united-kingdom-4150758|title=Every UNESCO World Heritage Site in the UK|website=TripSavvy}}</ref>

[[VisitEngland]] is the official tourist board for [[England]]. VisitEngland's stated mission is to build England's tourism product, raise [[Great Britain|Britain]]'s profile worldwide, increase the volume and value of tourism exports and develop England and Britain's visitor economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitbritain.org/overview|title=Overview|date=10 April 2015|work=visitbritain.org}}</ref> In 2020, the ''[[Lonely Planet]]'' travel guide rated England as the second best country to visit that year, after [[Bhutan]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019|title=Best in Travel 2020|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel/countries|access-date=24 April 2020|website=Lonely Planet}}</ref>

Lockdowns necessitated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] significantly reduced the number of visitors in 2020-2022, a 10-day quarantine period applied to people entering England from a number of "red list" countries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/26/uk-government-in-talks-over-expanding-covid-travel-red-list|title=UK government in talks over expanding Covid travel 'red list'|accessdate=27 March 2021}}</ref>

==Cities==
The 15 English cities visited most by overseas tourists in 2019 were:<ref name="ons">Section 4, Figure 9, {{cite web |title=Travel trends - Office for National Statistics |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/leisureandtourism/articles/traveltrends/2019 |website=www.ons.gov.uk |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref>
{|class="wikitable"
!#!!City!!Annual visitors (millions)
|-
|1||[[London]]||21.7
|-
|2||[[Manchester]]||1.7
|-
|3|| [[Birmingham]]||1.1
|-
|4|| [[Liverpool]]||0.84
|-
|5|| [[Brighton and Hove]]||0.64
|-
|6|| [[Bristol]]||0.63
|-
|7|| [[Oxford]]||0.58
|-
|8|| [[Cambridge]]||0.42
|-
|9|| [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]]||0.4
|-
|10|| [[Leeds]]||0.33
|-
|11|| [[York]]||0.29
|-
|12|| [[Newcastle-upon-Tyne]] ||0.28
|-
|13||[[Stratford-upon-Avon]] (town)||0.27
|-
|14||[[Nottingham]]||0.24
|-
|15||[[Coventry]]||0.24
|}

==Rankings==
[[File:Tate modern london 2001 02.jpg|thumb|The [[Tate Modern]] art gallery in London was England's top tourist attraction in 2018.<ref name="vb">{{cite web |title=Annual Survey of Visits to Visitor Attractions: Latest results |url=https://www.visitbritain.org/annual-survey-visits-visitor-attractions-latest-results |website=VisitBritain |access-date=10 July 2020 |language=en |date=22 November 2016}}</ref>]]
Unlike other countries, most state-run museums and places of cultural interest in England are free of charge to visit. Museums are an important aspect of [[English culture]], and most cities and towns have a few museums and art galleries. Some of the most visited places are:
{{Table alignment}}
{| class="wikitable sortable col1center col5center"
|+Attraction ranking excluding Greater London<ref name=ALVA>{{cite web |url=http://www.alva.org.uk/details.cfm?p=608 |title=Visits made in 2022 to Visitor Attractions in Membership with ALVA |publisher=Association of Leading Visitor Attractions |accessdate=5 April 2023}}</ref> 
|-
!#
 ! Museum !! County !! Visitors (2022)
|-
|1||[[Windsor Great Park]]||[[Berkshire]]||5,636,844
|-
|2||[[Wisley Garden]]||[[Surrey]]||1,494,709
|-
|3||[[Stonehenge]]||[[Wiltshire]]||977,316
|-
|4||[[Windsor Castle]]||[[Berkshire]]||927,331
|-
|5||[[Roman Baths (Bath)|Bath's Roman Baths]] and [[Grand Pump Room]]||[[Somerset]]||851,854
|-
|6||[[Longleat]]||[[Wiltshire]]||814,263
|-
|7||[[Moors Valley Country Park]]||[[Dorset]]||810,707
|-
|8||[[Blenheim Palace]]||[[Oxfordshire]]||806,806
|-
|9||[[Beamish Museum]]||[[County Durham]]||773,814
|-
|10||[[Whipsnade Zoo]]||[[Bedfordshire]]||760,087
|-
|11||[[Ashmolean Museum]]||[[Oxfordshire]]||728,006
|-
|12||[[Portsmouth Historic Dockyard]]||[[Hampshire]]||718,990
|-
|13||[[Bodleian Libraries]]||[[Oxfordshire]]||711,478
|-
|15||[[Oxford University Museum of Natural History]]||[[Oxfordshire]]||675,557
|-
|16||[[Royal Shakespeare Company]]||[[Warwickshire]]||672,487
|-
|17||[[World Museum]]|| [[Merseyside]]||669,684
|-
|18||[[Eden Project]]||[[Cornwall]]||658,084
|-
|18||[[York Minster]]||[[North Yorkshire]]||620,591
|-
|20||[[Sherwood Pines Forest Park]]||[[Nottinghamshire]]||612,804
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable col1center col5center"
|+Greater London attraction ranking<ref name=ALVA/>
|-
! Rank
 ! Museum !! Visitors (2022)
|-
|1||[[NHMUK|Natural History Museum]] ||4,654,608
|-
|2||[[British Museum]] ||4,097,253
|-
|3||[[Tate Modern]] ||3,883,160
|-
|4||[[Southbank Centre]] ||2,947,155
|-
|5||[[National Gallery]] ||2,727,119
|-
|6||[[Victoria and Albert Museum]] ||2,370,261
|-
|7||[[Somerset House]] ||2,346,580
|-
|8||[[London Science Museum]] ||2,334,930
|-
|9||[[Tower of London]] ||2,020,121
|-
|10||[[Royal Botanic Gardens Kew]] ||1,963,885
|-
|11||[[Royal Museums Greenwich]] ||1,628,580
|-
|12||[[Royal Albert Hall]] ||1,449,486
|-
|13||[[St Paul's Cathedral]] ||1,193,888
|-
|14||[[British Library]] || 1,149,070
|-
|15||[[Westminster Abbey]] ||1,063,063
|-
|16||[[London Zoo]] ||1,045,289
|-
|17||[[Tate Britain]] ||913,395
|-
|18||[[Horniman Museum and Gardens]] ||790,067
|-
|19||[[Royal Opera House Covent Garden]] ||697,001
|-
|20||[[Royal Academy of Arts]] ||695,968
|}

==World Heritage Sites ==
17 of the 25 United Kingdom's [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]] fall within England. Some of the best known of these include [[Stonehenge]], the [[Tower of London]], the [[Jurassic Coast]], [[Westminster]], the [[Roman Baths (Bath)|Roman Baths in Bath]], [[Saltaire]], [[Ironbridge Gorge]] and [[Studley Royal Park]].

The northernmost point of the [[Roman Empire]], [[Hadrian's Wall]], is the largest Roman artifact in the world, running a total of 73 miles in northern England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://learnodo-newtonic.com/hadrians-wall-facts|title=10 Interesting Facts About Hadrian's Wall &#124; Learnodo Newtonic|website=learnodo-newtonic.com}}</ref>

==National Parks==
[[File:View from Latrigg.jpg|thumb|[[Lake District National Park]] is one of England's many [[UNESCO]] World Heritage Sites and national parks.]]

Some notable National Parks in England include:
*[[Lake District National Park]] — mountains, lakes and woodlands; the land of Wordsworth. 
*[[New Forest|New Forest National Park]] — one of the few remnants of the great oak and hornbeam woodland that once covered southern England.
*[[North York Moors|North York Moors National Park]] — heather-clad hills, woodlands, sea cliffs and secluded beaches
*[[Peak District|Peak District National Park]] — rugged moors and hills which form the northern spine of England.
*[[South Downs|South Downs National Park]] — the gentle rolling chalk downs of southern England.

England possesses a wide range of natural environments, and continues to benefit from a significant [[ecotourism]] industry.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} Attractions include:

*[[Eden Project]] in [[Cornwall]].
*The [[Lake District]], a [[national park]] and mountainous region in [[Cumbria]], including [[Windermere]], the largest lake in [[England]].
*The [[Peak District]], a national park and upland area lying mostly in [[Derbyshire]].
*[[Dartmoor]] and [[Exmoor]], national parks and upland areas in [[Devon]]/[[Somerset]].
*The [[New Forest]], a rural forest and national park lying mostly in [[Hampshire]].
*The [[Jurassic Coast]], a [[World Heritage Site]] in [[Dorset]] and [[Devon]].
*[[The Broads]], a national park and lowland area lying mostly in [[Norfolk]].
*The [[Yorkshire Dales National Park|Yorkshire Dales]], a national park and upland area in [[North Yorkshire]] and Cumbria.
*The [[National Forest, England|National Forest]], covering parts of [[Leicestershire]], [[Derbyshire]] and [[Staffordshire]].
*The [[South Downs]], a national park stretching from [[Hampshire]] to [[East Sussex]] and comprising chalk uplands and sea cliffs.
*[[Center Parcs UK and Ireland|Center Parcs]], a [[Europe]]an network of rural holiday parks.

===Preservation trusts===

A number of [[umbrella organisation]]s are devoted to the preservation and public access of both natural and cultural heritage, including [[English Heritage]] and the [[National Trust]]. Membership with them, even on a temporary basis, gives priority free access to their properties thereafter.

English Heritage has a wide-ranging remit and manages more than 400 significant buildings and Monuments in England. They also maintain a register of thousands of [[listed building]]s,<ref>{{cite web |title=English Heritage |url=http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.19322 |website=www.english-heritage.org.uk |access-date=18 July 2020}}</ref> those which are considered of most importance to the historic and cultural heritage of the country.

== Travelling within England==
[[File:Hugh llewelyn 390 010 (6390165407).jpg|thumb|right|A [[British Rail Class 390]] ''Pendolino'' train]]

[[Bus transport in the United Kingdom|The United Kingdom's bus services]] offers numerous, frequent and reliable transport around most of the larger towns and cities. Rural areas are less well served and hiring a car is often the best option to explore the countryside and villages.

The next most common methods of transports are [[Taxi|taxis]] and [[Train|trains]]. [[Rail transport in Great Britain|Great Britain's extensive rail network]] is used to travel between cities significantly more than aeroplanes, with a 2015 survey finding that only 1% of international visitors flew domestically after arrival.<ref>{{cite web |title=Inbound transport research |url=https://www.visitbritain.org/transport |website=VisitBritain |access-date=18 July 2020 |language=en |date=20 April 2015}}</ref>

== Politics ==
The [[Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism]] is the [[Minister (government)|minister]] with responsibility over [[tourism]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/parliamentary-under-secretary-of-state--81|title=Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism - GOV.UK|website=www.gov.uk|language=en|access-date=2020-01-29}}</ref>

== Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ==

The travel restrictions and lockdowns necessitated by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] in 2020 led to a 76% reduction in "inbound tourism" to the UK that year.(Most reports that provide statistics on tourism cover the entire UK as an entity, although some do provide specifics for England.) The forecast for 2021 indicated an estimate that visits would be up "21% on 2020 but only 29% of the 2019 level". Some increase was expected but slowly at first and the report concluded that tourism was not expected to come "even close to normal levels".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitbritain.org/2021-tourism-forecast|title=2021 tourism forecast |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=From mid-March to mid-July, COVID-19 triggered a near-total shutdown in international tourism ... there was an increase in visitor numbers from this low point, although they remained very low, and dipped again towards the end of the year.}}</ref>

The same VisitBritain report also discussed the effects of the pandemic on domestic within the UK in 2020, citing a significant reduction in spending, for an estimated  decline of 62% over the previous year. As of January 2021, the forecast for 2021 suggested that spending would increase by 79% over the previous year and that "the value of spending will be back to 84% of 2019 levels" by the end of 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitbritain.org/2021-tourism-forecast|title=2021 tourism forecast |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=forecast assumes a slow recovery in early 2021 before a step change in the spring ... followed by a gradual recovery throughout the rest of the year and beyond.}}</ref>

A report published in March 2021 by the [[Fraser of Allander Institute]] indicated that "tourism and hospitality suffered notable losses from the pandemic" and provided detailed specifics for both domestic and international visits.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fraserofallander.org/covid-19-impact-on-the-tourism-and-hospitality-sector-an-insight-from-the-latest-economic-commentary/|title=Covid-19 impact on the Tourism and Hospitality Sector, an insight from the latest Economic Commentary |access-date=8 April 2021|quote= ... health and economic crisis ... In particular, tourism and hospitality suffered notable losses from the pandemic.}}</ref> The government announced a £56m "welcome back fund" that month to help councils and businesses in coastal towns prepare to welcome tourists back safely in summer, "as soon as the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom#February 2021: Variants of concern and vaccination efficacy|roadmap]] allows".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/mar/20/english-tourism-hotspots-to-get-56m-boost-to-prepare-for-great-summer-covid|title=English tourism hotspots to get £56m boost to 'prepare for great summer'|accessdate=20 March 2021}}</ref>

On 5 April 2021, the BBC reported that the restrictions on domestic travel were expected to be loosened during that month, at least for travel within England, Scotland and Wales. (No announcement had been made as of early April by Northern Ireland.) The news item predicted that "hotels and B&Bs [were] set to open for holidaymakers in England on 17 May at the earliest".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/explainers-52646738 |title=Covid: When can I go on holiday abroad or in the UK?|access-date=8 April 2021|quote= }}</ref> An article in [[The Guardian]] stated that "all shops in England will be allowed to reopen from next [[Monday]] [12 April], while pubs and restaurants will be allowed to serve customers outdoors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/apr/05/travel-industry-frustrated-by-lack-of-clarity-on-road-map-to-reopening#:~:text=Travel%20industry%20frustrated%20by%20lack%20of%20clarity%20on%20road%20map%20to%20reopening,-Disappointment%20as%20PM&text=Travel%20companies%20have%20expressed%20frustration,for%20international%20travel%20to%20resume.&text=The%20government%20will%20bring%20in,to%20some%20lower%2Drisk%20countries. |title=Travel industry frustrated by lack of clarity on road map to reopening|access-date=8 April 2021|quote= }}</ref> The VisitBritain website provided more specifics on 5 April as to "COVID-19 restrictions" that were expected to be loosened on 12 April but indicated that there was no confirmation as to whether the rules on international travel, either inbound or outbound, would actually be loosened in mid-[[May]].<ref name="visitbritain.org">{{cite web|url=https://www.visitbritain.org/covid-19-new-coronavirus-latest-information-and-advice-businesses-1 |title=COVID-19 (new coronavirus) - latest information and advice for businesses |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=whether non-essential international travel can resume on 17 May, or whether we will need to wait longer before lifting the outbound travel restriction.}}</ref>

On 6 April 2021, [[CNN]] published an update as to the tourism situation in the UK for visits from other nations. Any visitors from "red list" countries were still not allowed to enter unless they were UK residents. "There's still not much to do in the UK right now ... although this lockdown is now being eased some restrictions will likely be in place until the summer", the report predicted, with [[June]] being the most likely time for tourism from other countries to begin a rebound.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/uk-travel-covid-19/index.html |title=Travel to the UK during Covid-19: What you need to know before you go |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=It is too early to say which countries will be on the green list when non-essential international travel resumes}}</ref>

On 5 April 2021, the VisitBritain website discussed a plan to relax some restrictions on visits to the UK from other nations by mid-May.<ref name="visitbritain.org"/> The feasibility of the plan became less certain as of 8 [[April]] 2021 when sources in the European Union stated on that a "third wave of the pandemic [was sweeping] the continent"; the [[Lineage B.1.1.7|B117 variant]] was of particular concern.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/european-travel-restrictions-nonessential-travel-curbed/a-56350272 |title=European travel restrictions: Nonessential travel curbed |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many countries worldwide continue to restrict entry and most travel remains discouraged.}}</ref> Two days earlier, PM [[Boris Johnson]] had made it clear that "We don't want to see the virus being reimported into this country from abroad".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-04-06/boris-johnson-uk-travel-reopening-coronavirus-covid-19/100050006 |title=Boris Johnson refuses to set hard date for Britain to reopen for international travel |access-date=8 April 2021|quote=Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many countries worldwide continue to restrict entry and most travel remains discouraged.}}</ref>

Some restrictions on hospitality and domestic tourism were loosened in England on 12 April 2021; pubs and restaurants were allowed to open their outdoor facilities; non-essential stores opened; families were allowed to travel within England "in self-contained accommodation" and travel between Wales and England was fully permitted.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-56710858 |title=Covid lockdown eases: Celebrations as pub gardens and shops reopen |access-date=13 April 2021|quote=}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Lists of tourist attractions in England]]
*[[Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Arts, Heritage and Tourism]]
* [[Enjoy England]]
* [[Institute of Tourist Guiding]]
* [[Tourism in the United Kingdom]]

==References==
<references />

==External links==
* [[File:CC-BY-SA icon.svg|50px]] Text was copied from [https://wikitravel.org/en/England England] at WikiTravel, which is released under a [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 (Unported) (CC-BY-SA 3.0) license].
* [http://www.visitengland.com/en/EN/ English Tourist Board]
* [https://wikitravel.org/en/England England Wiki Travel guide ]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070218121049/http://www.pagemost.com/ ''www.pagemost.com''], Interactive Google maps showing local places and attractions, complete with Flickr photographs. Search by UK place name or postcode.

{{Tourism in the United Kingdom}}
{{Tourism in Europe}}
{{Economy of the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Tourism in England| ]]