§ Mrs. Anne CampbellTo ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the balance of payments in aviation tourism was in each of the last three years. [124252]
§ John HealeyThe precise information requested is not collected centrally although "The UK Balance of Payments—The Pink Book 2002" states that the total deficit for all forms of overseas travel (business and tourism, by air, sea and rail) for the years 1999, 2000 and 2001 was £8.87 billion, £10.94 billion and £13.75 billion respectively (page 45). It should be noted, however, that the UK runs a significant surplus in overall services trade.
Page 39 of the Pink Book 2002 states that in 2001, 58 million UK residents travelled abroad and 23 million foreign nationals visited the UK with the comment that
the sharp fall in the numbers of overseas visitors to the UK in 2001 is thought to be partly due to events such as the foot and mouth crisis deterring people from travelling to the UK".