Tourism in London

London is one of the world's leading destinations for tourists, and the city is home to an array of famous tourist attractions.

Economics of tourism in London

The Government Office for London states that tourism revenues constitute 10 per cent of London’s gross value added and contributes to the employment of up to 13 per cent of London’s workforce. According to the London Development Agency, visitors to London spend around £15bn each year. [cite web
url=http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/nav.001002004
title=Marketing & Promoting London
publisher=London Development Agency] [cite web
url=http://www.gos.gov.uk/gol/Culture_leisure/Tourism/?a=42496
title=Tourism in London
publisher=Government Office for London ]

Tourist attractions

Although the majority of London's tourist attractions are located in Central London, others can also be found outside the city centre. Within central London, the City of London is home to St Paul's Cathedral, with the Tower of London and Tower Bridge just outside its official boundary. The Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace bring visitors to the City of Westminster to the west, which also counts many of London's top museums and galleries amongst its attractions, including the British Museum, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, the Tate Britain and Madame Tussaud's. Royal attractions are always popular — as well as the various palaces, Horse Guards Parade is a ceremonial photo opportunity, whilst nearby Downing Street is home to the Prime Minister whom, in June 2007 changed from Tony Blair to Gordon Brown

To the north of the City of Westminister, the London Borough of Camden feautures the northern end of Regent's park and the famous London Zoo, both inside Central London. Just outside is Camden Town, home to the well-known market, an attractor just to the north.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea further to the west includes the museum district of South Kensington (home to the Science Museum, Natural History Museum, and Victoria and Albert Museum) and Kensington Palace. Many hotels are also located in this area.

Recent years have seen the regeneration of the South Bank and Bankside areas across the river from the City and Westminster, featuring the Globe Theatre, the London Eye, the London Aquarium and the Tate Modern.

Outside the centre, the Greenwich, in the eastern area of South London, is a popular tourist destination with the Cutty Sark, Royal Observatory and National Maritime Museum.

On the other side of the city, in West London, is the London Borough of Richmond, which features Kew Gardens and Richmond, with Hampton Court Palace in the south-western edge of the borough on the other side of the river.

Many of London's museums offer free entry while historic or cultural attractions like the Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral and the Globe Theatre charge an entry fee of anything between £5 to £20 per adult. The [http://www.londonpass.com London Sightseeing Pass] offers entry to many London Tourist Attractions with one ticket, purchased in advance.

References

See also

* Culture of London
* History of London
* Media in London
* Religion in London
* Transport in London
*

External links

* [http://www.lda.gov.uk/server/show/nav.001005005007 London Development Agency: Tourism]
* [http://corporate.visitlondon.com/facts_figures/latest_statistics/ Visit London: London tourism statistics]
* [http://www.talkingtrip.com Londons Audio Tour Guides]
* [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=390 Office of National Statistics: Tourism And Leisure: National Gallery still top of the bill]
* [http://www.londonweekendbreak.net/ London Weekend Break] Tourist guide to London's sightseeing attractions
* [http://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/doc.asp?doc=17682&cat=2142 Londoncouncils.gov.uk: London tourism by numbers]