Paris no longer the most visited city in the world

It’s official! London dethrones the French capitalto become the most popular destination for tourists in the world.

In 2012, the city of Paris, which does not include attractions in the wider Paris region such as the Palaces of Versailles and Fontainebleau, attracted 29 million tourists of all nationalities. Meanwhile, London, which covers a much wider area than the city of Paris, welcomed 27.6 million domestic and international tourists.

The British capital is basking in the glow of the successful 2012 Olympic Games. London was in the spotlight during the Olympics with so many events taking place in iconic locations, without forgetting the birth of the royal baby, Prince George of Cambridge, the Shard skyscraper opening in 2012.

Strangely enough, Paris and London’s competition for global tourists is largely focused on each other’s citizens. French nationals are the second largest group of tourists in the British capital and vice-versa – with American visitors dominating both destinations.

The Louvre, the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the cobbled streets of Montmartre all help pull in millions of visitors to Paris each year. But this time around, it seems the British Museum, the Tate Modern, Camden Market, The Tower of London et al are more of a pull than traditional attractions in Paris.

Culled : London tops Paris as world’s most visited city – or does it?