The number of overseas tourists visiting the UK last year fell for the first time since 2001, according to the Office of National Statistics Travel Trends 2008 report.
Overall, there was a 2.7% drop in people visiting the UK from 2007 to 2008. The last quarter of 2008 saw the largest fall, with 13% fewer people visiting the UK than the same period in 2007.
Business travel was hardest hit, falling 25% from the last quarter of 2007 to the same period in 2008.
More people from France and Ireland visited the UK, but there was a sharp decline in US visitors.
Meanwhile, the number of Brits travelling abroad fell 0.6% over the year. As with inbound visits, the largest fall came in the final quarter, when visits dropped 9%.
Spain and France continued to dominate the destinations chosen by Brits, accounting for 36% of all trips. Those were followed by the US, Ireland, Italy, Germany and Portugal.