Portsmouth tourism thrives as visitors rate city highly

A council report revealed that from April 2024 to January 2025, the Visit Portsmouth website recorded nearly one million sessions and over 1.7 million page views.

Most visitors (90.4 per cent) came from within the UK, with the USA, Germany, France, and Australia making up the top international visitors.

The annual visitor survey in January received over 3,500 responses, showing Gunwharf Quays remained the most popular attraction, visited by 64.9 per cent of respondents—an increase from 2023. Other key destinations included Portsmouth Historic Dockyard (48.4 per cent), Spinnaker Tower (26 per cent), and the seafront, which drew nearly three-quarters (73.3 per cent) of visitors.

Most visitors had a great experience—over 90 per cent rated their trip four or five stars. When asked what they enjoyed most, the Dockyard topped the list, followed by shops, history, Gunwharf, and the seafront.

Regarding travel, most visitors arrived by car (73.6 per cent), though this was a 4.5 per cent drop from last year. Train travel, on the other hand, rose to 25.9 per cent, showing a shift towards rail transport.

Visitors were also asked how likely they were to return to Portsmouth within the next year. More than half (53.5 per cent) said it was "extremely likely", with another 24.7 per cent giving a four-star rating, bringing the total positive responses to 78.2 per cent.

When asked about negatives, many simply responded with "nothing” or said the worst part was "having to leave." However, parking and traffic were frequent complaints, alongside high costs, busy areas, and the usual unpredictable British weather.

Councillor Steve Pitt, leader of the council, said the results reflect how visitors see Portsmouth. “People are often critical of the place where they live but perhaps the best way to view a place is through the eyes of people that don’t live there and clearly people that visit the city have a very positive opinion of it.”