Bookings spike suggests London as Europe’s most connected business hub

The UK now serves more European and international destinations than any other European city, according to new research commissioned by the London Convention Bureau.

London has direct air connections to 401 destinations around the world and more connections with Europe (243 routes) than any other European city, according to RDC Aviation, which analyses city flight data.

Transportation links with Europe are well served with by high-speed train links, like Eurostar, to cities across France and Belgium. There is a new service between London and Amsterdam, with a third daily direct train from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The extra service, which launches on 11 June, was due to demand for routes to the Netherlands.

Eurostar claims that a London-Amsterdam Eurostar journey emits 80 per cent less carbon than the equivalent flight.

Due to the strong transport links with mainland Europe, London’s Convention Bureau recently announced a new partnership with the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau that will see the two cities forming a partnership offering a range of two- in-one incentive travel products.

“The number of high-profile associations and corporations that are now choosing London is an endorsement of the city’s position as a world-class location for meetings and events, as well as being a global centre for learning,” James Rees, executive director for Conferences and Events at ExCeL London said.

The meetings and incentives market remains a tour de force in the UK capital with brands like Adobe, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Google and Microsoft hosting large scale corporate events in London this year.

Massive meetings are also on the horizon, with London Tech Week welcoming over 55,000 visitors in June 2019, at a number of venues including the Barbican and the Tower of London. Sibos, one of the world’s largest financial services, will host more than 11,000 delegates.

“We are very excited to be bringing Sibos to London for the first time, this year. London is one of the world’s great financial centres. It’s a city where business, creativity and innovation converge – and that’s why it’s the perfect place for Sibos 2019,” Chantal Vanes, head of Sibos said.

“While providing a great venue to do business, London’s ever-changing cultural offering, spanning world-class museums, theatre and the arts, will also allow delegates to enjoy their experience at the world’s premier financial services event to the fullest.”

London fact box

• Latest figures show that business visitors to London spent £3.5 billion annually.
• From September 2017 to October 2018, London welcomed 3.5 million international overseas business visitors.
• According to findings from the Hotel Monitor Report, a new report monitoring hotel capacity across European cities, London is set to add 11,600 rooms to its hotel market by 2020.
• The capital’s hotel market is set to outpace a number of major European cities by 2020, including Paris, Berlin, Lisbon and Milan.
• Hotel operators are increasing hotel capacity across the city, with an 8 per cent uplift predicted by 2020.