London celebrates record year for tourism arrivals
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London welcomed more international visitors than ever before in 2014, with the city’s cultural attractions and sporting events proving massive draws, according to new figures released by the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS).
The data shows there were 17.4 million visits to the city in 2014 up 3.5% from the previous record of 16.8 million visits in 2013.
The surge in visitors since the 2012 Olympic Games has been welcomed by businesses as international visitors are spending more in the city’s restaurants, hotels and attractions. In 2014 visitors boosted London’s economy by £11.8 billion compared to £11.5 billion in 2013, an increase of 3%.
Commenting on the findings, the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “These terrific new figures confirm that record numbers of tourists are spending record amounts of dosh in our amazing city. Our status as the number one destination in the world is surely beyond any doubt, and with incredible attractions like the Rugby World Cup heading our way we look forward to welcoming many thousands more visitors to London.”
The uplift in visitor numbers is reflected across Britain, which welcomed nearly 34.4 million visitors, a 5.2% increase compared to 2013. International tourists spent £21.8 billion, up 2.8% compared to the previous year.
A record 58 million people from the UK and overseas visited the city’s 40 most popular tourist attractions last year, up four per cent compared to 2013, according to the Attractions Monitor, a detailed visitor survey compiled by London & Partners, the Mayor’s international promotional company for the city.
Driven by the 100th Anniversary of World War I, one of the most significant trends was an increase in people visiting military exhibitions, which rose by 22% to 3.6 million. The Tower of London’s Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red, proved particularly popular, with more than 5 million people visiting the display. Visitors numbers to maritime attractions, such as the HMS Belfast, also increased 13% to 3m visits.
“It has been incredible to welcome so many visitors to our three London branches, IWM London, HMS Belfast and Churchill War Rooms, since 2014,” said Diane Lees, director-general of Imperial War Museums. “We hope to see a continuing rise in visitors during the next 12 months, with our new autumn exhibition Lee Miller: A Woman’s War, and our on-going contemporary art programme at IWM London.”
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