London is the Most Talked About Travel Destination on Twitter

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VisitLondon.com surprises 'Super Fans' of the capital – film available to view from 16.00 GMT 9 March 2016

London is the most talked about travel destination on Twitter, according to new research from London & Partners, the Mayor of London's official promotional company.

The data, which has been released to coincide with the launch of a campaign celebrating 'Fans' of the city, was compiled by Spredfast for London & Partners and reveals the words 'London' and 'travel' were tweeted together more than 630,000 times in 2015, which is 200,000 more than the next most popular cities, Paris, New York, Rome and Tokyo.

In fact, the word London on its own was tweeted more than 81 million times in 2015, which is more than Sydney, Tokyo and Rome combined.

Some of the top words used in association with London include, 'art', 'travel' and 'fashion.'

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson commented: "With our unbeatable cultural attractions, outstanding dining and top notch shopping, it's no wonder that London is the most talked about travel destination on social media. Even better, this online chatter is translating into record breaking visitor numbers and our museums, galleries and other attractions continue to top the charts. With another fantastic year of world-class events in store, we look forward to welcoming even more fans of London throughout the coming months and the years ahead."

Today (10 March) VisitLondon.com, in partnership with the GREAT Britain Campaign, British Airways and Hilton, launches 'Fans of London', a new initiative to celebrate the blockbuster events, exhibitions and anniversaries taking place across the capital this year. Highlights include: the Queen's 90th Birthday, the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's legacy, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and the world's first exhibition of the Rolling Stones.

Fans of London launches with a series of four special "super-fan" films, the first of which follows the journey of Christine Meer, a dedicated American fan of the British Royal family who was hand-picked to visit the capital for the first time, for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Christine was given VIP access to London's Historic Royal Palaces, as well as a Royal makeover. Christine is a speech therapist for adults.

Royal super fan Christine Meer from Columbus Ohio said: "I have been a huge fan of the British Monarchy ever since I can remember, and have always loved learning about their rich history, as well following the legacy of the younger Royals. To come to London for the very first time and experience the palaces as an insider was like a dream come true for me."

Chris Gottlieb, Chief Marketing Officer for London & Partners said: "Fans of London was born out of a desire to shine a spotlight on the unmissable events happening across the city this year, and each of these from The Queen to Harry Potter, has truly dedicated followers around the world.

"Fans of London features something for all, from cutting edge exhibitions to Shakespearean performances. By promoting these events together we can attract new international audiences to experience and share the very best that London has to offer this year."

Additional research from Spredfast highlights that many of London's top visitor attractions are also generating huge amounts of Twitter traffic. The Coca-Cola London Eye was the most tweeted about attraction in the capital (over the past 12 months) followed by the British Museum and the Natural History Museum in second and third place. Separate research has also shown that:

· London has been Googled more than any other capital city since 2004*

· London is the most 'selfied' city on Instagram**

· Social media has an increasing influence over holiday choices, and 89% of those recently surveyed had used social media at some stage of their holiday***

Sara Dunham, British Airways' Head of Marketing, Retail and Direct, said: "This campaign will showcase some special moments, as fans travel to one of the world's greatest cities for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. At British Airways we love to make amazing things happen, and with dozens of daily flights connecting people between 21 US cities and London, we look forward to flying hundreds of fans to follow in their footsteps."

Aligi Gardenghi, Vice President Marketing Europe, Middle East & Africa at Hilton Worldwide said: "As fans of London we are excited to be involved in the London & Partners campaign and look forward to setting the stage for incredible and heartfelt experiences for our guests and visitors to the capital. With 35 properties in Greater London offering a diverse range and breadth of hospitality, Hilton provides the ideal backdrop for a memorable stay in one of the most popular worldwide destinations."

Commenting on the data, Rod Favaron, CEO of Spredfast said: "Social data is always a valuable resource for understanding what interests viewers, consumers, and even travellers. With London's cultural, historic, and unique entertainment offerings, it's no surprise that this location is the top travel destination, according to Twitter users. Our own team is often jockeying for more opportunities to travel to our London office, and it appears that they are not alone."