London has been named the best-rated destination to visit in 2019, according to the 2019 Travellers’ Choice Awards by TripAdvisor.
The capital city was decided as winner, up from second place in 2018, from an algorithm that scanned traveller ratings for hotels, restaurant and experiences over a 12 month period.
TripAdvisor has accredited the result to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, claiming that the Royal wedding and the fascination with the couple boosted the city’s appeal.
The travel site also saw a surge in bookings for royal-focused experiences in what they have called the ‘Harry and Meghan’ effect. In particular, the Tour London with Changing of the Guard and Buckingham Palace Access which costs a hefty £71 per person saw a 231% increase in booking year-on-year.
“With the couple’s new Royal baby due imminently, London may continue to reap the rewards of the Harry and Meghan effect into 2020,” commented Hayley Coleman, a TripAdvisor spokesperson.
Other destinations that made the top ten included Paris, Rome, Crete, Bali, Phuket, Barcelona, Istanbul, Marrakech and Dubai.
While London came top of the list, the North of England and the UK also performed well with Edinburgh, Liverpool, Glasgow and Belfast coming in the top five for the UK and Channel Islands, see the full list below.
UK and Channel Islands top 10
London
Edinburgh
Liverpool
Glasgow
Belfast
Bath
Isle of Wight
York
Manchester
Jersey
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