London travel tips

You could easily argue that there's no such thing as a bad time to visit England's capital city – world-class events running year-round, incredible galleries and museums, cozy pubs, and beautifully landscaped parks and gardens.

Last year, Skift debuted its Future of Lodging Forum in New York City – focused on what Skift has called The Great Merging of how we live, work, and travel. This year, we are bringing this event and a wide cross-section of hospitality leaders together in London on March 29th, 2023.

In a departure from the typical rose-tinted travel campaign, luxury rental booking platform Plum Guide sent individuals dressed as grim reapers around London this month with the stark message “The End Is Nigh” around their cloaks.

Standing under the iron ribcage of London’s St Pancras station, it’s impossible not to feel a thrill as Eurostar trains whisk passengers away from the city and under the sea. In just two-and-a-half hours, travellers can step out into the French capital, where one of the greatest railway journeys truly begins. 

The CEO of London’s Heathrow Airport, John Holland-Kaye, will step down from his post later this year the airport announced Thursday. His departure comes after nine years at the helm of the UK’s busiest airport.

Destinations and attractions are investing in virtual and augmented reality technologies to drive interest and foot traffic to historical attractions. During the ITB Berlin conference last week, some attractions, tech providers and destinations discussed how such technologies will heighten the visitor experience.

The United Kingdom is poised for a tourism boom in 2023, a welcome development for a country that has struggled to make a complete recovery from the pandemic. And VisitBritain CEO Patricia Yates has big plans to boost visitor numbers even more, especially outside of popular destinations like London and Oxford.

London’s luxury retailers fear the city is losing its pull as a shopping destination, with tourists from the United States, China and the Gulf flocking instead to Paris and Milan where tax breaks still offer a way to cut the cost of their purchases.

There will be no more rummaging in the bottom of your bag for a forgotten hand cream or water bottle at London City Airport after it became the first of the capital’s hubs to scrap the 100ml liquid limit rule.

The London Marathon, set to attract 50,000 runners on Sunday, took several steps to lower its carbon footprint, including charging foreign entrants who had to travel to the city a $32 fee (26 pounds) as part of their entry applications.

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG Hotels & Resorts) CEO Keith Barr told the Financial Times this week that “several shareholders” had asked his team at an investor roadshow last month if it would consider a switch away from listing on the London stock market to New York’s exchanges.

Tourism agencies are developing more sophisticated and granular destination influencer marketing strategies as content creators hone their skills, reach, and transparency about niche audiences.

American tourists are driving the UK’s recovery more than any other region, according to VisitBritain. More Americans are traveling to the UK and they are spending more than they did in 2019.

Qantas, Australia’s national airline, has revealed the complete cabin design of its Airbus A350s, marking a significant milestone in its Project Sunrise. That’s the title for its new nonstop routes, slated to begin in late 2025, from Sydney to London and New York, which would be the world’s longest flights.

Rental housing group Greystar Real Estate Partners has acquired the London Olympics site for £20 Million ($25 million) for a built-to-rent project.

London’s Heathrow Airport has appointed Copenhagen Airport boss Thomas Woldbye as its next chief executive, who will take charge of western Europe’s busiest airport later in the year.

Experiences have seen a significant increase in pricing, with gains averaging 18% over the past four years. This is according to data analysis from two marketplaces for tours, activities, and attractions: GetYourGuide and TicketLens.

One New York man says he was running late for his flight to London, so he took a chopper to the John. F. Kennedy Airport.

After living in London, England, for three years, TikToker Olamide Modupe has created a video series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving there from the US. 

In today's world, where choice abounds and experience is god, more and more people are seeking out goods and services that mean something to them—that tell a story and align with their values. 

I'd been living in London for just under a year when my parents came to visit in January 2020.