Tourist transport choices vary by destination, trip purpose and visitor profile. In Britain in 2018, buses, tubes, trams or metro trains appeared on 49% of inbound visitor visits, while trains outside towns and cities appeared on 23%. More recent figures for Scotland show that 49% of visitors used some form of public transport within Scotland in 2023.
Contents
- How inbound tourists travelled within Britain
- Public transport by trip purpose
- Seasonal patterns
- Age and gender differences
- Differences by origin market
- What the Scotland figures show
How inbound tourists travelled within Britain
VisitBritain’s Internal modes of transport statistics measure transport used on inbound visitor visits to Britain in 2018. The figures describe visits, not necessarily unique people, and a visit could include more than one transport mode.
Urban public transport was the most frequently recorded listed internal mode. Bus, tube, tram or metro train was used on 19.648 million inbound visitor visits, equivalent to 49% of visits. Taxi use was recorded on 11.233 million visits, or 28%, while train travel outside a town or city was used on 9.135 million visits, or 23%. VisitBritain, Internal modes of transport, 2018.
Other recorded modes were used less often. Uber or another transport-sharing app appeared on 4.052 million visits, or 10%. A hired self-drive car or vehicle was used on 2.127 million visits, or 5%, and a public bus or coach outside a town or city was used on 1.984 million visits, also 5%. Ferries or boats were used on 562,000 visits, or 1%.
On 10.948 million visits, representing 27% of visits, inbound visitors used none of the listed internal transport modes. That category should not be interpreted as proof that visitors made no journeys; it indicates only that none of the listed modes was recorded.
| Internal mode recorded on inbound visits | Visits or share, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Bus, tube, tram or metro train | 19.648 million; 49% |
| Taxi | 11.233 million; 28% |
| Train outside a town or city | 9.135 million; 23% |
| Uber or another sharing app | 4.052 million; 10% |
| Hired self-drive car or vehicle | 2.127 million; 5% |
| Public bus or coach outside a town or city | 1.984 million; 5% |
| Ferry or boat | 562,000; 1% |
The public-transport picture is therefore broader than one single mode. Urban services reached nearly half of inbound visits, and interurban rail added a separate 23% share. The percentages are mode-use rates, so they should not be added as if each visit had only one transport choice.
Public transport by trip purpose
The purpose of a visitor’s trip was associated with substantial differences in transport use. Urban bus, tube, tram or metro transport was used on 49% of all inbound visits. The rate was 58% for holidays and 50% for visits to friends or relatives. It was lower for business visits, at 31%, and 40% for miscellaneous visits.
Study visits were the strongest urban public-transport group: 72% used bus, tube, tram or metro transport. This was the highest rate among the listed purposes. Study visitors also had the highest rate for trains outside towns or cities, at 43% of visits.
Train travel outside towns or cities was used on 23% of all inbound visits. The corresponding rate was 25% for holidays, 26% for visits to friends or relatives, 14% for business visits, 43% for study visits and 18% for miscellaneous visits.
Public bus or coach travel outside towns or cities was recorded on 5% of all inbound visits and 5% of holiday visits. The rate reached 7% for visits to friends or relatives and 7% for study visits. Business visits recorded 5%, while miscellaneous visits recorded 2%.
| Trip purpose | Urban bus, tube, tram or metro | Train outside towns or cities | Public bus or coach outside towns or cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| All inbound visits | 49% | 23% | 5% |
| Holiday | 58% | 25% | 5% |
| Friends or relatives | 50% | 26% | 7% |
| Business | 31% | 14% | 5% |
| Study | 72% | 43% | 7% |
| Miscellaneous | 40% | 18% | 2% |
Business visitors were the only listed purpose group for which urban public transport was not the most-used transport mode. Taxis were used on about 37% of business visits. This provides a different pattern from study and holiday travel, where urban public transport was recorded more frequently.
Seasonal patterns
Urban public-transport use was relatively consistent across the four quarters of 2018. Bus, tube, tram or metro transport was used on 49% of inbound visits in January–March, 48% in April–June, 48% in July–September and 51% in October–December. The highest reported quarterly rate was therefore in October–December.
Train use outside towns or cities showed somewhat more seasonal movement. The rate was 22% in January–March, 22% in April–June, 25% in July–September and 23% in October–December. July–September had the highest reported rail rate in this series.
| 2018 period | Urban bus, tube, tram or metro | Train outside towns or cities |
|---|---|---|
| January–March | 49% | 22% |
| April–June | 48% | 22% |
| July–September | 48% | 25% |
| October–December | 51% | 23% |
These measurements suggest that urban public transport remained common throughout the year among inbound visitors to Britain. The quarterly rail figures varied between 22% and 25%, while urban public transport varied between 48% and 51%.
Age and gender differences
In 2018, female inbound visitors recorded higher public-transport use than male inbound visitors in each of the three listed categories. Urban bus, tube, tram or metro transport was used by 57% of female visitors and 45% of male visitors. Train travel outside towns or cities was used by 26% of female visitors and 21% of male visitors. Public bus or coach outside towns or cities was used by 6% of female visitors and 4% of male visitors.
Age differences were clearest for urban transport and rail. Urban bus, tube, tram or metro transport was used by 45% of visitors aged 0–15, 60% of those aged 16–34, 48% of those aged 35–54 and 45% of those aged 55 or older. Visitors aged 16–34 had the highest urban rate in the supplied age groups.
Train travel outside towns or cities was used by 23% of visitors aged 0–15, 28% of those aged 16–34, 21% of those aged 35–54 and 22% of those aged 55 or older. Public bus or coach use was 5%, 7%, 4% and 5% respectively across those same age groups.
The other recorded modes also differed by age. Visitors aged 16–34 used Uber or another sharing app on 13% of visits, compared with 7% among visitors aged 55 or older. Taxi use was 19% among visitors aged 0–15 and 33% among those aged 35–54. Self-drive vehicle hire was 3% among visitors aged 16–34 and 8% among visitors aged 55 or older.
Differences by origin market
Origin-market results show that public transport use was not uniform across inbound visitors. Urban bus, tube, tram or metro transport was used by 50% of visitors from France, 47% from Germany and 55% from the USA. The rate was 37% among visitors from the GCC, 60% among visitors from India, 60% among visitors from Australia and 66% among visitors from China.
Train travel outside towns or cities was used by 16% of visitors from France, 20% from Germany and 27% from the USA. The rate was 17% for visitors from the GCC and 21% for visitors from India. Australian visitors recorded 37%, higher than the 23% all-market rate, while visitors from China recorded 29%, compared with 23% across all inbound markets.
Public bus or coach travel outside towns or cities was used by 4% of visitors from France and 4% from Germany. The rate was 6% for the USA, 2% for the GCC, 7% for India, 9% for Australia and 8% for China.
The wider transport mix also helps put these results in context. Taxi use reached 53% among visitors from the GCC, the highest taxi rate in the first market comparison. Visitors from the USA used urban public transport on 55% of visits and taxis on 39%. Visitors from Australia used ferries or boats on 6% of visits, compared with 1% across all inbound markets.
What the Scotland figures show
VisitScotland provides a more recent destination-specific view for 2023. Almost half of visitors in Scotland used some form of public transport within Scotland, at 49%. Among European and long-haul visitors, the rate rose to 66%. VisitScotland, How Visitors Travel To And Around Scotland, 2023.
Car travel was used by 69% of all visitors on their trip in Scotland in 2023. This is a broader trip-use measure than any single public-transport mode, and the supplied figures do not indicate whether a visitor used both a car and public transport.
The Scotland data also records how long-haul visitors reached the destination. Eight in ten long-haul visitors travelled to Scotland by air in 2023. Within that group, 48% used an indirect flight and 35% used a direct flight. These are arrival-to-Scotland figures, whereas the 49% and 66% public-transport measures concern travel within Scotland.
Taken together, the Britain and Scotland statistics show sustained relevance for public transport in tourist travel, but the measures are not directly interchangeable. Britain’s detailed mode, purpose, season, age, gender and origin-market figures refer to inbound visits in 2018. Scotland’s newer figures refer to visitors and travel within Scotland in 2023, with a separate European and long-haul visitor result.