PEOPLE from across the UK visiting Wales generated more than £3 billion last year, according to figures published yesterday (Tuesday) by Welsh Government.

According to the Great Britain Day Visits Survey 2013, which took the form of 35,085 online interviews throughout Britain during the course of the year, 89 million tourism day visits were made by British residents to destinations in Wales in 2013, generating £3.061 billion worth of expenditure.

More than three-quarters of those visits to Wales were made by Welsh people and the total figure included 37 million trips made to South East Wales.

Despite this, the volume of trips to Wales was down 12 per cent, or 101 million, compared to 2012, while the total volume of day visits in Great Britain was down by seven per cent and in Scotland down 13 per cent.

In 2013 each day trip visitor to Wales spent £34 on average, on par with the UK average.

As in 2012, Wales’ share of all tourism day visits made by British residents to destinations in Great Britain in 2013 was six per cent.

In 2013 some 19 per cent of the annual total of visits was taken from January to March quarter, 26 per cent between April and June, 34 per cent between July and September, and 20 per cent between October and December, a pattern similar to 2011 and 2012.

Around 39 million of the visits lasted between three and than four hours; 18 million were between four and five hours; 11 million between five and six hours; and 21 million visits lasted more than six hours.

Last year 75 per cent of day visits to Wales were made by car, seven per cent by train, seven per cent on foot and six per cent by public bus, coach or coach tour.

Around 19 million visits were made to North Wales; 14 million to Mid Wales; 18 million to South West Wales; and 37 million to South East Wales.

A quarter of expenditure went on transport, with 17 per cent going on fuel; 40 per cent on eating and drinking, of which 35 per cent went to cafes and restaurants; 11 per cent on entrance fees, including three per cent on attractions, and four per cent on events or shows; and 20 per cent went on shopping.