London

The view from Victoria Tower of the Houses of Parliament, the River Thames, Westminster and Westminster Bridge, towards the East as dusk is falling.

London

From high-tech venues to incentive experiences that bring to life over 2,000 years of history, immerse yourself in the English capital that will always inspire

Getting here

BY PLANE

  • Heathrow Airport: One of the world's most connected airports with seamless arrivals including pre-booked coach bays, a 15-minute train to London Paddington, and soon to open Elizabeth Line.

  • London Gatwick Airport: Flights from 230 destinations in 70 countries and 30-minute trains to London departing every three minutes.

  • London Stansted Airport: One of Europe’s fastest-growing airports with direct travel to London taking just 47 minutes.

  • London City Airport: London’s most central airport with flights from 37 European cities and regular trains into the city on The Docklands Light Railway (DLR).

  • London Luton Airport: A growing international airport with flights from 150 global destinations, and regular 40-minute trains to central London.

  • London Southend Airport: Flights from almost 40 European cities, and trains to London taking less than an hour.

BY TRAIN

  • The London Underground: An easy way to get around London. Purchase tickets for groups at the VisitBritain online shop or email VBTrade@visitbritain.org to place an order.

  • Trains: Major rail stations Victoria, Paddington, King’s Cross and Liverpool Street effortlessly connect London with the rest of the UK.

  • Eurostar: A fast travel option from Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Lille, group travel can be extra special by booking a whole carriage.

Expertise

Icon of finance industry - Sector Strength

Finance

London is widely recognised as a leading global financial centre and, for the first time in 2019, the city played host to Sibos, the annual financial industry event. 

Much of London's finance industry is located at the ‘Square Mile’ or the ‘City’, the long standing business hub of London. The other major financial district is the Canary Wharf area, east of the City. It is estimated there are 40,000 London-based companies operating in the financial services sector employing around 315,200 people. Some of the major financial institutions currently having their headquarters in the capital are The Bank of England, Lloyd’s of London, Barclays and the London Stock Exchange.

   
Digital & Technology sector strength symbol

Digital and technology

London’s digital and technology industry plays a fundamental role in the British economy. This industry has helped position London as Europe's undisputed digital capital and has been a catalyst for growth across various industry sectors. The technology scene in London is centred around Shoreditch and Old Street, east of the City, where 40,000 tech businesses thrive in the area commonly known as Silicon Roundabout.

A joint report published by Deloitte, Intel, EMC2, and London First revealed that currently one out of every ten jobs in this sector is based in London, and approximately 50 per cent of the UK's digital media jobs are in the capital. In total, it is estimated that more than 251,000 people work in the city’s digital sector.

   
Life science - sector strength

Life sciences

London has a long history as a centre for advancement in medicine and biology and today, together with Oxford and Cambridge, forms the ‘Golden Triangle’, a global hub for life sciences. 

With a unique ecosystem combining a rich network of world-class universities, leading research centres, healthcare providers, medical charities, innovative small businesses and global industry players, London’s life sciences sector is highly attractive for investment. 

Life science initiatives across the capital include the London Cancer Hub (a partnership between the Institute of Cancer Research and London Borough of Sutton), The Cube (a post-incubator scientific research & development facility in Dagenham, East London), The Francis Crick Institute (bringing together 1,500 scientists and support staff, with a focus on finding new ways to treat, diagnose and prevent a range of illnesses), and Imperial College London’s White City campus (co-locating researchers, businesses and higher education partners on a 25-acre site).

 

Where to stay

London boasts more than 1,600 hotels and over 159,000 bedrooms - with an additional 7,995 bedrooms across 65 new hotels set to open in 2020.

5* hotels 18,470 bedrooms
4* hotels 57,203 bedrooms
3* and under properties 33,050 bedrooms
Other (student accommodation / home sharing) 50,733 bedrooms

 

Convention centres & arenas

London is home to more than 1,000 diverse venues, from purpose-built conference centres and hotel meeting spaces, to royal palaces and unique attractions.

ExCeL London
QEII Centre
Olympia London
Business Design Centre
Alexandra Palace
SSE Arena, Wembley
The O2

Sporting venues

London Stadium
Twickenham Stadium
Chelsea Football Club
Wembley Stadium
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Academic & professional venues

Royal College of Physicians
London School of Economics & Political Science (LSE)
Imperial College London

Culture & heritage venues

Central Hall Westminster
Barbican Centre
Tobacco Dock
Church House Westminster

Incentives

Westminster Abbey
Up at The O2
Brit Movie Tours
Harry Potter at Warner Bros. Studio Tour London
Small Car, Big City
Sherlock Holmes Experience

Dining & social

Sky Garden
Tower of London
Searcys at the Gherkin
The Painted Hall
Hawker House
Guildhall
Natural History Museum
Royal Opera House

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