In 2014, the UK spent around €940 million on tourists attending football matches. On average, around 800,000 football tourists spent €1,176 per person during their visit.

In some countries, football matches are a big attraction for visitors from abroad, such as in England. With some legendary football clubs, great players and famous stadiums capturing the imagination of football fans, hundreds of thousands of tourists flock to the UK every year to watch football matches live.

Nearly a billion
Data from the Office for National Statistics (the UK’s CBS partner in our country) and Visit Britain show that in 2014, around 800,000 foreigners attended football matches during their visits to the UK. There are around 50,000 more than in 2010. This group of tourists makes a lot of money for the country – football tourists spend an average of €1,176 (£885) per person during their visit to the UK. This equates to a total of €940 million – 15% more than in 2010. In comparison, tourists who traveled to the UK without attending a football match spent less money during their visit – an average of €834 (£628).

Origin of tourists
Ireland is the country of origin for the most football tourists – around 121,000 people. Norway ranked second with 93,000 visitors coming to watch football, and Sweden ranked third with 58,000 visitors. The top five overseas markets for English football are followed by the United States with 53,000 visitors and the Netherlands in fifth place. In 2014, 43,000 people crossed from our country to the UK to attend a football match. Combined, the top 10 countries account for 68% of the total number of football tourists.

The most popular among British football tourism are the football stadiums in London – almost half of the matches attended take place in the British capital. Key attractions include Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Wembley (national team, some cup matches), Tottenham Hotspur’s White Hart Lane, and Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC. Stadiums in Manchester are also successful among foreign tourists, with Old Trafford – Manchester United’s stadium – attracting more visitors than the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City’s stadium. Anfield, Liverpool’s home stadium, is in third place with 99,000 visitors.