Following a record-breaking year for London tourism, the British capital was today rated third in the world in the TripAdvisor 2014 Travellers' Choice awards for Destinations.
This echoes what I said here in the Huffington Post back in August 2012, before the close of the London Olympics. My earlier comments suggested that London would see a twenty or thirty year effect from the Olympic games and these latest numbers from Tripadvisor suggest that London can expect more tourists for many years to come.
Gordon Innes, the Chief Executive of London & Partners, said, "London has had a blockbuster year, experiencing a surge in tourists not seen before by any other post-Olympic host city in the world. We're delighted that London has again been recognised by millions as one of the best places on earth to come and visit. During the last year we've seen record numbers of visitors to the capital, who have enjoyed everything our great city has to offer."
"Whether it's to explore the newly opened Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, or to enjoy some of the top attractions including the second most popular cultural institution in the world, the British Museum, London is fast becoming known as the greatest place in the world to visit."
James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson, commented, "These awards are based on millions of reviews and ratings by those that really matter - travellers themselves. There is no doubt the birth of the royal baby helped keep the eyes of the world on London in 2013, but the capital's continued appeal among travellers around the world surpasses any one event."
Personally I think that the results of this Tripadvisor analysis should be taken more seriously than most polls or surveys. In many cases a survey can be influenced by who is sponsoring it or who is asking the questions. In this case though, Tripadvisor has taken a look at the various reviews (over the past year) for restaurants, hotels, and tourist attractions and blended the opinion of millions of genuine tourists to create a league table of destinations.
The 2014 TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Destinations winners:
World's top 10
1. Istanbul
2. Rome
3. London
4. Beijing
5. Prague
6. Marrakech
7. Paris
8. Hanoi
9. Siem Reap
10. Shanghai
Europe's top 10
1. Istanbul
2. Rome
3. London
4. Prague
5. Paris
6. Berlin
7. Florence
8. Barcelona
9. St Petersburg
10. Budapest
UK's top 10
1. London
2. Edinburgh
3. Torquay
4. Liverpool
5. Belfast
6. York
7. Bristol
8. Llandudno
9. Leeds
10. Birmingham
For the complete list of 2014 Travellers' Choice Destinations winners, sponsored by Samsonite, go to tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice-Destinations.