London Is Now The Most Popular Tourist Destination In The World

Official figures show there were almost 4.9 million visitors to the capital between July and September: a new record.

1. Believe it or not, it’s a rise of 19.5% on the Olympic summer of 2012.

Phil Noble / Reuters

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2. There were a couple of big events that helped attract people to the capital…

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3. But that’s not the only reason. There was a 17% rise in visitors to these places.

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(L-R - Tower Bridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, The National Gallery).

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4. Events like David Bowie Is at the V&A and Life and Death in Pompeii at the British Museum helped boost the visitor numbers to 12.8 million for the first nine months of 2013.

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5. When the final numbers are totted up, London should hit 16 million visitors for 2013, which would make it the most visited city in the world, ahead of these:

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(L-R: Paris, New York).

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6. In a video series of “London Stories” produced by VisitLondon.com and released today, Mayor Boris Johnson says:

With so many fascinating museums, the best theatre scene in the world, more green space than any other European city, numerous top sporting venues, a low crime rate and much else besides, it is no wonder that people from all over the globe are flocking to London in record numbers. These incredible figures prove that London is without doubt the greatest city on the planet.

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7. The series has contributions from Gordon Ramsay.

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=rK2AliN7Uq8.

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8. And Joanna Lumley.

Video available at: http://youtube.com/watch?v=xr9yKNeX8Os.

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