Tourism in London

Tourists at Buckingham Palace.
A tourist stall selling various London and United Kingdom related souvenirs on the edge of Trafalgar Square on the Strand.
Tourists consulting a map near St Paul's Cathedral.
A signpost on Parliament Square with directions for nearby attractions

London is one of the world's leading tourism destinations, and the city is home to an array of famous tourist attractions. The city attracted 15.3 million international visitors in 2011,[1] making it one of the world's most visited in terms of international visits.[2]

Effect on the economy

In 2011 visitors to London spent £9.4 billion, which is a little more than half of the total amount international visitors spent in the whole of the United Kingdom the same year .[1]

Notable attractions

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located on the edge of the River Thames. It is 135 meters tall and has a diameter of 120 metres. A short walk away, the area boasts the London Aquarium, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Nelson's Column. In 2013, the tallest building in London, the Shard, opened a viewing platform to the public. Other major tourist attractions in London include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace (although this is only open to the public during a limited number of months in the summer), Tower Bridge Experience, Madame Tussauds, ZSL London Zoo, London Dungeon and St Paul's Cathedral.

Museums and galleries

There are many museums and art gallery in the London area, the majority of which are free to enter. Many of them are popular places for tourism. The most popular are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Notable galleries include Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

Parks and open spaces

London has several parks for tourists to stroll, rest and relax in. They include Hyde Park, Regent's Park, Green Park, St. James's Park, Hampstead Heath and Greenwich Park.

Economics

London attracted 16.8 million visitors in 2013,[3] Below is the visitors information. (Numbers in thousands)

References

  1. 1 2 "Inbound Tourism - Updated July 2012". VisitBritain. July 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Simon Kyte (May 2012). Tourism in London (PDF). Greater London Authority. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-84781-496-8. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
  3. ↑ http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/ott/travel-trends/2013/sty.html
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