General Information » Economy » Tourism

Tourism makes a major contribution to the capital’s economy, not to mention its day-to-day life. According to Visit London, an estimated 24.5 million visitors were drawn to the city in 2005 – more if you include domestic daytrippers – by London’s heritage, iconic landmarks and cultural attractions, spending about £9 billion in total. On top of this, tourism is responsible directly or indirectly for creating nearly 350,000 jobs in London.

The capital’s tourism industry has, however, been hit by various political and natural events this decade, from 9/11, the invasion of Iraq and the London bombings of 2005 to the outbreaks domestically of foot and mouth disease and, internationally, Sars. The weakening of the dollar against the pound has also lessened the appeal to US travellers, which is by far the UK’s most substantial overseas market. While visitor numbers have still not returned to the levels of 2000 – estimated at 31.6 million – both domestic and international tourism remain strong, supported by the rising number of cheap European flights in the last few years.

Recent additions to London’s list of attractions, including the London Eye and Tate Modern art gallery, have proved incredibly popular. The investment in infrastructure ahead of the Olympics in 2012, and the opening of a fifth terminal at Heathrow in 2008, should help to increase the numbers of international visitors.