UK goods export businesses: accommodation and food
UK goods export businesses: accommodation and food stood at 4.2% in Aug 2026, according to ONS — Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). It is one of the indicators in the Exporting, importing and US tariffs (BICS) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Dec 2024 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Exporting, importing and US tariffs (BICS) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 01-2026 | 10-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exported goods only | |||||||||||
| Accommodation & food service | 4.2 | 1.8 | 2.2 | 1.7 | |||||||
| Information & communication | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1 | 1.8 | 2.3 |
Understanding UK goods export businesses: accommodation and food
Accommodation and food service providers across the United Kingdom quantify their incidental overseas merchandise dispatches, leaving aside their core hospitality services like lodging and dining. While hospitality enterprises primarily serve localised patrons, a niche subset engages in dispatching specialised food products, beverages, or branded merchandise to international buyers.
Because foreign trade represents a minor fraction of this industry's overall revenue model, sample sizes within this category can generate volatile survey readings from month to month. Observers should exercise caution when evaluating short-term movements, as minor shifts in a small pool of responding hospitality operators can produce exaggerated percentage swings. Direct comparisons with heavy industrial exporters are inappropriate due to the fundamentally domestic orientation of the hospitality sector.
Frequently asked questions
- Why would a hotel or restaurant report exporting goods?
- Certain hospitality businesses sell proprietary food items, beverages, or branded merchandise to overseas customers.
- Does this series measure international tourism revenue?
- No, it tracks physical merchandise dispatched abroad by hospitality operators, not spending by foreign visitors inside the United Kingdom.
- Why are monthly changes in this category often erratic?
- The small proportion of hospitality businesses engaging in foreign trade makes the sample sensitive to minor respondent fluctuations.