What’s the most popular UK attraction for overseas tourists?
Trafalgar Square is the top tourist attraction for international travellers visiting the UK, according to a survey by First Rate Exchange Services.
Its poll of visitors from the US, Ireland, Spain, France and Germany found Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace were the next popular.
These sites, combined with London’s magnitude of museums, made London the main port of call for 72% of these international visitors.
A a visit to Buckingham Palace is a must for Americans, with 51% saying visiting the Queen’s London home was top of their tourist trip table.
For the Irish, Oxford Street is the most popular destination, and a visit to the Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham also features their top 10.
The French are the most likely to venture out of the capital with Edinburgh Castle, Oxford University and the White Cliffs of Dover featuring highly on their holiday hot spots.
The top 10 attractions for inbound tourists were:
1. Trafalgar Square
2. Tower Bridge
3. London Museums
4. Buckingham Palace
5. Oxford Street
6. London Eye
7. Windsor Castle
8. Edinburgh Castle
9. Stonehenge
10. Globe Theatre, London
The list is based on research undertaken by Toluna, with a base size of 2,500 inbound tourists during April 2009.
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025