Tourism in London

London is one of the world's leading tourism destinations, and the city is home to an array of famous tourist attractions. The city attracted 15.3 million international visitors in 2011, making it one of the world's most visited in terms of international visits.

In 2011 visitors to London spent £9.4 billion, which is a little more than half of the total amount international visitors spent in the whole of the United Kingdom the same year .

The London Eye is a giant Ferris wheel located on the edge of the River Thames. It is 135 metres tall and has a diameter of 120 metres. A short walk away, the area boasts the London Aquarium, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Nelson's Column. In 2013, the tallest building in London, the Shard, opened a viewing platform to the public. Other major tourist attractions in London include the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace (although this is only open to the public during a limited number of months in the summer), Tower Bridge Experience, Madame Tussauds, ZSL London Zoo, London Dungeon and St Paul's Cathedral.

There are many museums and art galleries in the London area, the majority of which are free to enter. Many of them are popular places for tourism. The most popular are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Notable galleries include Tate Modern, Tate Britain, the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery.

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