Thousands of people flocked to London in the days following the death of Queen Elizabeth II to pay their final respects, which ultimately delivered a significant boost to the tourism sector. Now, it’s expected the UK could be in for another tourism boost following the death of Her Late Majesty.
According to RadioTimes, the State Funeral was watched by a peak of 37.5 million people in the UK. That number contributed to an estimated four billion people watching worldwide. In Australia, there were just over an estimated three million viewers – numbers that put the Royal Family and London at the forefront of people’s minds.
Dr Cindy McCreery, head of the Modern Monarchy in Global Perspective Research Hub and senior lecturer in history at the University of Sydney, said there is a clear link between major royal events and UK tourism. It is not just a boost in people travelling to the UK, but people visiting the royal landmarks. For example, during the wedding of Charles and Diana at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1981, the cathedral saw a significant boost in tourists, as did the city of London.
“Traditionally, Buckingham Palace has only been open to visitors for two months in July and August – when the Queen was at Balmoral – and that’s going to change,” McCreery told Traveller.
“King Charles has said that he wants to open royal residences to public access more, so tourists will be able to visit Buckingham Palace more readily than they can at the moment.”
It’s believed there will be changes extended to Buckingham Palace, Balmoral, Sandringham, Clarence House, and Windsor Castle, with plans to make them more accessible throughout the year. For example, this could include expanding visiting times at Sandringham from the current April to October window to all year. McCreery believes historical sites featured in the late monarch’s funeral procession will be of particular interest.
“People will have seen Westminster Hall, they’ll have seen Westminster Abbey, they’ll have seen St George’s Chapel, and they’ll think ‘maybe I’ll go and visit.'”
Patricia Yates, chief executive for the UK’s national tourism body, Visit Britain, said research shows exploring Britain’s history and heritage is a top reason for international visitors: “We are inspiring people to book a trip to come and see our world-renowned attractions, our culture, heritage and history for themselves and, as we look ahead to the Coronation of King Charles III, to be part of the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that you can only have in Britain.”
In 2019, income from ticket admissions to Brain’s royal residences came out to ₤50 million. At the time, Windsor Castle and Frogmore House, the residence of Prince Harry and Meghan at the time, were some of the most popular residences to visit.
In August, Visit Britain unveiled a 2022 tourism forecast of ₤21.6 billion in visitor spending for the year.
