The survey showed an estimated 3.6 billion leisure trips in England in 2005, down from 5.4 billion in 2002/03.
However, some of this reduction may be due to changes in survey design and methodology. Trip numbers were growing modestly in the early 1990s, but since 1998 there has been an underlying downward trend for all visits, including trips to the countryside.
Despite fewer visits overall, people are spending more money per outing. The average spend per trip is £25.09, with higher levels of spend in towns and cities and at seaside resorts. The estimated total value was £90 billion, with £9.4 billion of this in the countryside, where the average spend per trip was £13.38.
The survey series data is lodged with:
UK Data Archive
University of Essex
Wivenhoe Park
Colchester
Essex CO4 3SQ
Tel: 01206 872143