Although it was dubbed one of Britain’s least desirable places to reside, visitors apparently adore Crawley.
According to government statistics, the town of West Sussex has become one of the top destinations for international visitors.
It was ranked 15th according to the Office for National Statistics ( ONS ) list of destinations.
That put it above Nottingham (16th) the land of Robin Hood, and Aberdeen (17th), which has frequently won the ' Beautiful Scotland' award.
Crawley, whose name originates from the Old English term 'crawe leah,' signifying 'a clearing frequented by crows,' managed to surpass Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Reading, and the renowned pilgrimage site of Canterbury.
The outcomes might be attributed to Crawley being home to Gatwick The airport, a key global hub frequented by millions of travelers.
Crawley was placed at number 20 on a list identifying the least desirable locations as per a major national newspaper.
It ignited a strong defense from The Argus, a local publisher based in the Brighton area, who stated that it was "a great place to live."
The ONS report, which was based on the count of overnight stays, left out London.
The city reported receiving 20.3 million overnight visitors in 2023.
Edinburgh, which topped its list, had 2.3m visits, according to the huge survey, based on answers from hundreds of thousands of interviewees.
Manchester (1.7M) took the second spot and Birmingham (934,000) third.
Liverpool (900,000) and Glasgow (685,000) completed the top five list.
In 2023, foreign residents carried out 38 million trips to the United Kingdom, an increase from the 31.2 million recorded in 2022.
Expenditure rose as well, jumping from £26.5 billion in 2022 to £31.1 billion.
Moreover, despite having fewer visitors compared to before the pandemic, tourists traveling to Britain spent more money than they did in 2019.
However, plans for a 'lodging levy' proposed by Chancellor Rachel Reeves might result in visitors paying an extra £12 per night in the coming days.
Treasury authorities are known to have conducted 'modeling exercises' to assess the effects of implementing a comparable tax rate as the one used in France.
Over the Channel, daily lodging costs can vary from under one pound per person at an campground all the way up to over twelve pounds in a five-star hotel.
Various councils such as those in Manchester, Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole have already implemented what is known as a visitor fee, which hotels are able to add onto guests' bills separately.
A report from April of the previous year estimated that the charge generated £2.8 million for Manchester in its inaugural year.
Chancellor’s plan for an extensive strategy nationwide has faced strong resistance from global brands like Burberry and Watches of Switzerland, which sells Rolex, along with Heathrow and hotel magnate Sir Rocco Forte.
The London-based organization BusinessLDN similarly urged Labour to focus on implementing 'growth-promoting' strategies.
However, according to calculations conducted by the economic advocacy organization TaxPayers' Alliance, implementing a £1.25 levy per night would generate approximately £560 million annually.
York, which placed just ahead of Crawley on the ranking with approximately nine million visitors within a year, has embraced the concept of implementing a tourism tax for the city to assist in maintaining attractions like the Roman walls and the Shambles shopping district.
In 2023, out of the top ten countries whose citizens visited the UK most often, seven were from the European Union.
The three non-EU nations were the United States, Australia, and Canada.
In 2023, as in 2022, the United States led the rankings for international tourists, welcoming 5.1 million visitors.
The United States was followed by France (3.2 million), Germany (3 million), and Ireland (2.9 million).
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