Holidays are coming……ACTDIVATE’s projects record breaking surge in Visitor Demand in the UK for this year’s Christmas Market Season
According to ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence Platform, STREAM, UK Holiday Markets Set to Welcome Over 11 Million Visitors in 2025
The UK’s most iconic Christmas markets are on track for one of their strongest festive seasons ever, driven by rising domestic tourism, longer city breaks, and expanding visibility across social platforms.
The top five UK Christmas markets are expected to attract 11.1 million total visitors—a record-setting volume signalling the continued growth of winter tourism across the country.
These markets will generate an estimated $1.2 billion in total economic impact, with visitors driving strong spending across accommodation, retail, hospitality, and premium festive experiences.
Top 5 UK Christmas Markets (2025 Season)
Including Total Attendance + Total Estimated Visitor Spend
| Market | Total Attendance | Avg Spend per Visitor (USD) | Total Est. Spend (USD millions) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter Wonderland – London Hyde Park | 3,000,000 | $55 | $166.5M | Flagship London event with rides, retail, and festive food. |
| Edinburgh Christmas Market | 2,200,000 | $56 | $123.2M | Scenic market attracting domestic tourism from across the UK. |
| Manchester Christmas Markets | 1,800,000 | $37.50 | $67.5M | Major Northern festive destination with multiple market zones. |
| Birmingham Frankfurt Christmas Market | 1,500,000 | $42 | $63M | Largest authentic German-style market in the UK. |
| Bath Christmas Market | 2,600,000 | $26 | $67.6M | Boutique heritage market popular with weekend visitors. |
Total Visitor Impact Across Top 5 UK Markets
Total Visitors: 11.1 million
Total Visitor Spend: $488 million across all markets (direct festive market activity)
Wider Economic Impact: $1.2 billion when including accommodation, transportation, retail, and entertainment across host cities.
Why Events are core to driving ROI uplift: Dont overlook them!
Visitors to Christmas markets provide some of the highest economic uplift of the year:
Boost hotel bookings during a traditionally quieter period
Drive strong retail and gifting revenues
Spend more on dining and entertainment than average city-break visitors
Increase revenue for airlines, rail, and regional mobility
Amplify cities’ visibility via social sharing and digital word-of-mouth
Domestic visitors—who make up the majority—continue to deliver consistent spend across accommodation (largely short-breaks), high-street retail, food stalls, and paid attractions.
Breakdown of projected Total Visitor Economic Impact (UK Markets) in the wider surrounding area due to the Christmas Market events
| Category | Est. Spend from All Visitors (USD millions) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Accommodation | 780 | Driven by UK-wide short breaks, weekend stays, and regional travel |
| Food & Beverage | 570 | Strong demand for festive dining, street food, and seasonal beverages |
| Retail | 390 | Shopping surges across market stalls and surrounding high streets |
| Transportation | 180 | Rail, domestic flights, buses, and local mobility |
| Entertainment | 120 | Rides, attractions, performances, light shows |
If you are a business operating or servicing one of these cities and would like to know what additional events are happening during this time in addition to the Christmas Markets, please request a demo for more information at the bottom of this article.
The Unconsidered Challenge : Most UK Businesses Are Unaware and thus Unprepared to take advantage of the surge opportunity events bring
Despite strong expected visitor numbers, many operators are still unable to accurately forecast total footfall, resulting in:
Understaffed operations
Incorrect stock allocation
Pricing strategies that fail to capture seasonal opportunity
Poorly timed marketing campaigns
Difficulty predicting high-intent visitor segments by day or time
ACTDIVATE: Identifying Visitor Demand to convert into Real Commercial Growth
ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence Platform helps UK destinations, hospitality brands, and operators:
Predict visitor patterns using movement & demand signals
Forecast peak visitation days across cities and holiday zones
Optimise inventory and staffing for high-demand windows
Target key visitor groups through data-led localisation
Understand dwell times, flows, and conversion potential
“Visitors deliver the largest commercial impact for UK Christmas markets—and yet most of the industry is still flying blind,”
said Ian Clark, Director of Partnerships at ACTDIVATE.
“ACTDIVATE’s EVENT INTELLIGENCE lets brands act on these signals weeks in advance, maximising revenue and operational efficiency.”
For more information on any of these events or any other events please schedule a demo of ACTDIVATE’s Event Intelligence platform, STREAM, and visit: https://actdivate.com/book-a-demo
