The line graph illustrates the number of overseas visitors arriving in the UK for three distinct purposes—holiday, business, and visiting friends or relatives—between 1989 and 2009. Overall, it is clear that all three categories experienced growth throughout the period, although holiday travel remained the most popular choice for the majority of the timeframe.
In 1989, holiday travel began at 6.5 million, which was the highest figure among the three. This number climbed significantly to reach a peak of 9 million in 1996, before experiencing a period of fluctuation and dipping to 6.5 million in 2004. Subsequently, it recovered to reach 9 million again by 2011. In contrast, business travel started at 5 million in 1989, dropped to 4 million by 1991, and then followed a steady upward trajectory, peaking at 8 million in 2009 before declining to 7 million.
Visiting friends and relatives was the least common reason for travel throughout the period. Starting at 3.5 million in 1989, this category saw consistent growth, reaching 7 million by 2009, before experiencing a slight decline to 6.2 million by the end of the period.