London

==Economy==
{{main|Economy of London}}
[[File:City_of_London_skyscrapers_HDR_-_2023-03-18.jpg|thumb|The [[City of London]], one of the largest financial centres in the world<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cityam.com/london-top-world/|title=London tops 2015 global financial centre rankings and knocks New York into second place|website=cityam.com|date=23 September 2015|access-date=12 November 2015}}</ref>]]
London's [[gross regional product]] in 2019 was £503&nbsp;billion, around a quarter of [[Economy of the United Kingdom|UK GDP]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/grossdomesticproductgdp/bulletins/regionaleconomicactivitybygrossdomesticproductuk/1998to2019/pdf |title=Regional economic activity by gross domestic product, UK: 1998 to 2019, UK- Office for National Statistics |first=Trevor |last=Fenton |website=ons.gov.uk}}</ref> London has five major business districts: the city, Westminster, Canary Wharf, Camden & Islington and Lambeth & Southwark. One way to get an idea of their relative importance is to look at relative amounts of office space: Greater London had 27&nbsp;million m<sup>2</sup> of office space in 2001, and the City contains the most space, with 8&nbsp;million m<sup>2</sup> of office space. London has some of the highest real estate prices in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lowe |first=Felix |date=18 February 2008 |title=Highgate Trumps Chelsea as Priciest Postcode |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/2784634/Highgate-trumps-Chelsea-as-priciest-postcode.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102203419/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/constructionandproperty/2784634/Highgate-trumps-Chelsea-as-priciest-postcode.html |archive-date=2 January 2021 |access-date=25 March 2021 |website=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref>

===City of London===

[[File:Paternoster Square.jpg|thumb|The [[London Stock Exchange]] at [[Paternoster Square]] and [[Temple Bar, London|Temple Bar]]]]
[[File:Fotografi av Royal Exchange. London, England - Hallwylska museet - 105857.tif|thumb|The [[Royal Exchange, London|Royal Exchange]] in 1886]]

London's finance industry is based in the [[City of London]] and [[Canary Wharf]], the two major [[Central business district|business districts]]. London is one of the pre-eminent [[financial centre]]s of the world as the most important location for international finance.<ref name="economist1">{{Cite news |date=29 November 2007 |title=The City of London's tumble – After the fall |newspaper=The Economist |location= London |url= https://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_TDNDRPTT |url-status=dead |access-date=15 May 2009 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20121208172611/http://www.economist.com/finance/displaystory.cfm?story_id=E1_TDNDRPTT |archive-date=8 December 2012}}</ref> London took over as a major financial centre shortly after 1795 when the Dutch Republic collapsed before the Napoleonic armies. This caused many bankers established in [[Amsterdam]] (e.g. Hope, Baring  I'm), to move to London. Also, London's market-centred system (as opposed to the bank-centred one in Amsterdam) grew more dominant in the 18th century.<ref name='Finance Hub'/> The London financial elite was strengthened by a strong Jewish community from all over Europe capable of mastering the most sophisticated financial tools of the time.<ref name="auto2"/> This economic strength of the city was attributed to its diversity.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bartleby.com/34/2/6.html|title=Letter VI – On the Presbyterians. Letters on the English.|last=Voltaire|first=François Marie Arouet de.|date=1909–1914|website=Bartleby.com|publisher=The Harvard Classics|orig-year=1734|access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The Origin of Religious Tolerance: Voltaire |url=https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=2095 |access-date=28 June 2023 |work=Independent Institute}}</ref>
[[File:London.bankofengland.arp.jpg|thumb|The [[Bank of England]], established in 1694, is the model on which most modern central banks are based.]]
By the mid-19th century, London was the leading financial centre, and at the end of the century over half the world's trade was financed in British currency.<ref>{{cite news |title=London - Finance |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/London/Finance |access-date=4 July 2022 |work=Encyclopaedia Britannica}}</ref> Still, {{as of|2016|lc=y}} London tops the world rankings on the [[Global Financial Centres Index]] (GFCI),<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/20/GFCI20_26Sep2016.pdf |title=The Global Financial Centres Index 20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928122804/http://www.longfinance.net/images/gfci/20/GFCI20_26Sep2016.pdf |archive-date=28 September 2017 |url-status=dead |access-date=8 August 2019}}</ref> and it ranked second in A.T. Kearney's 2018 Global Cities Index.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hales |first1=Mike |last2=Mendoza Peña |first2=Andrés |last3=Peterson |first3=Erik R.|last4=Dessibourg |first4=Nicole |title=2018 Global Cities Report – Learning from the East: Insights from China's Urban Success|url=https://atkearney.com/2018-global-cities-report |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180620232225/https://www.atkearney.com/2018-global-cities-report |archive-date=20 June 2018 |access-date=20 June 2018 |website=[[A.T. Kearney]]}}</ref>

London's largest industry is finance, and its [[financial export]]s make it a large contributor to the UK's [[balance of payments]]. Notwithstanding a post-[[Brexit]] exodus of stock listings from the [[London Stock Exchange]],<ref name=LSEExodus>{{cite news |url= https://fortune.com/2023/10/31/uk-stock-market-doom-loop-london-financial-capital/amp/ |title=UK's stock market is in a 'doom loop' that's undermining London's status as a global financial capital, investment bank says |author=Alexandra Muller and [[Bloomberg News]] |work=Fortune |location=New York |date=31 October 2023|access-date=20 February 2024}}</ref> London is still one of Europe's most economically powerful cities,<ref name="London.gov.uk"/> and it remains one of the [[Global Financial Centres Index|major financial centres of the world]]. It is the world's biggest currency trading centre, accounting for some 37 per cent of the $5.1&nbsp;trillion average daily volume, according to the BIS.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 September 2016 |title=London's core role in euros under spotlight after Brexit vote |work=[[Reuters]] |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-global-markets-bis-britain-idUKKCN11O0C4 |access-date=28 March 2021}}</ref> Over 85 per cent (3.2&nbsp;million) of the employed population of greater London works in the services industries. Because of its prominent global role, London's economy had been affected by the [[financial crisis of 2007–2008]]. However, by 2010 the city had recovered, put in place new regulatory powers, proceeded to regain lost ground and re-established London's economic dominance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gardiner |first=Beth |date=20 January 2010 |title=The London Banking Center Is Beginning to Feel Like Itself Again. |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/global/21rglofinuk.html |url-status=live |access-date=28 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125173353/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/business/global/21rglofinuk.html |archive-date=25 January 2010}}</ref> Along with [[professional services]] headquarters, the City of London is home to the [[Bank of England]], [[London Stock Exchange]], and [[Lloyd's of London]] insurance market.<ref>{{cite book|last=Mantle|first=Jonathan|title=For Whom the Bell Tolls|url=https://archive.org/details/forwhombelltolls0000mant|url-access=registration|year=1992|publisher=Sinclair-Stevenson |location=London |isbn=9781856191524 }}</ref>

Over half the UK's top 100 listed companies (the [[FTSE 100]]) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies have their headquarters in central London. Over 70 per cent of the FTSE 100 are within London's metropolitan area, and 75 per cent of [[Fortune 500]] companies have offices in London.<ref name="london_113">{{Cite web|date=9 June 2009|title=London Stock Exchange|url=http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609022757/http://www.londonstockexchange.com/en-gb/|archive-date=9 June 2009|access-date=27 April 2008|website=[[London Stock Exchange]]}}</ref> In a 1992 report commissioned by the London Stock Exchange, Sir [[Adrian Cadbury]], chairman of his family's confectionery company [[Cadbury]], produced the [[Cadbury Report]], a code of best practice which served as a basis for reform of [[corporate governance]] around the world.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gittelson |first1=Steven |title=Adrian Cadbury, a leader in corporate governance, dies at 86 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/adrian-cadbury-a-leader-in-corporate-governance-dies-at-86/2015/09/04/e87dd2fe-532e-11e5-8c19-0b6825aa4a3a_story.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=23 July 2022 |date=4 September 2015}}</ref>

===Media and technology===
{{main|Media in London}}

[[File:Broadcasting House 20160816.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Broadcasting House]], headquarters of the [[BBC]]]]
Media companies are concentrated in London, and the media distribution industry is London's second most competitive sector.<ref name="london_114">{{Cite web |url= http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2CAE66FB-2DD5-41A5-B916-8FFC37276059/0/BC_RS_lpuk_0511_FR.pdf |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060525075622/http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/2CAE66FB-2DD5-41A5-B916-8FFC37276059/0/BC_RS_lpuk_0511_FR.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=25 May 2006 |title=London's Place in the UK Economy, 2005–6 |date=November 2005 |website=Oxford Economic Forecasting on behalf of the Corporation of London |page=19 |access-date=19 June 2006}}</ref> The [[BBC]], the world's oldest national broadcaster, is a significant employer, while other broadcasters, including [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]], [[Channel 4]], [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]], and [[Sky UK|Sky]], also have headquarters around the city. Many [[List of newspapers in the United Kingdom|national newspapers]], including ''[[The Times]]'', founded in 1785, are edited in London; the term [[Fleet Street]] (where most national newspapers operated) remains a [[metonym]] for the British national press.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Solesbury |first1=William |title=World Cities, City Worlds |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |page=5}}</ref> The communications company [[WPP plc|WPP]] is the world's largest advertising agency.<ref>{{cite news |title=The world's biggest ad agency is going all in on AI with Nvidia's help |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2023/05/29/tech/nvidia-wpp-ai-advertising/index.html |access-date=21 March 2024 |publisher=CNN}}</ref>

A large number of technology companies are based in London, notably in [[East London Tech City]], also known as Silicon Roundabout. In 2014 the city was among the first to receive a [[geoTLD]].<ref>{{Cite press release |date=10 June 2013 |title=London gets go ahead for new '.london' internet domain |url= http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2013/130610-london-gets-go-ahead-for-new-london-internet-domain |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130614213446/http://www.londonandpartners.com/media-centre/press-releases/2013/130610-london-gets-go-ahead-for-new-london-internet-domain |archive-date=14 June 2013 |access-date=28 March 2021 |publisher= [[London & Partners]]}}</ref> In February 2014 London was ranked as the European City of the Future in the 2014/15 list by ''[[fDi Intelligence]]''.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McReynolds |first=Cathy |date=17 February 2014 |title=European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/15 |work=fDiIntelligence.com |location=London |url= http://www.fdiintelligence.com/Locations/Europe/European-Cities-and-Regions-of-the-Future-2014-15 |access-date=28 March 2021}}</ref> A museum in [[Bletchley Park]], where [[Alan Turing]] was based during World War II, is in [[Bletchley]], {{convert|40|mi|adj=off}} north of central London, as is [[The National Museum of Computing]].<ref>{{cite news |title=UK computer history gets new home |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6291422.stm|date=11 July 2007|access-date=4 July 2022 |work=BBC}}</ref>

The gas and electricity distribution networks that manage and operate the towers, cables and pressure systems that deliver energy to consumers across the city are managed by [[National Grid plc]], [[SGN (company)|SGN]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gas distributors |url= https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/gas/distribution-networks/gb-gas-distribution-network |publisher=Ofgem |access-date=19 January 2016 |date=20 June 2013 }}</ref> and [[UK Power Networks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Electricity distributor |url= http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/Our-company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/ |publisher=National Grid |access-date=19 January 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140914184550/http://www2.nationalgrid.com/uk/Our-company/electricity/Distribution-Network-Operator-Companies/ |archive-date=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Tourism===
{{main|Tourism in London}}
{{Multiple image
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|image1=British Museum from NE 2 (cropped).JPG
|caption1=The [[British Museum]]
|image2=Galería Nacional, Londres, Inglaterra, 2014-08-07, DD 036.JPG|
|caption2=The [[National Gallery]]
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London is one of the leading tourist destinations in the world and in 2015 was ranked as the most visited city in the world with over 65&nbsp;million visits.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 December 2015 |title=MasterCard Intelligence {{!}} MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index Report 2015|url=http://www.masterintelligence.com/content/intelligence/en/research/reports/2015/mastercard-global-destination-cities-index-report-2015.html |access-date=25 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207062023/http://www.masterintelligence.com/content/intelligence/en/research/reports/2015/mastercard-global-destination-cities-index-report-2015.html |archive-date=7 December 2015}}</ref> It is also the top city in the world by visitor cross-border spending, estimated at US$20.23&nbsp;billion in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Hedrick-Wong |first1=Yuwa |last2=Choong |first2=Desmond |year=2015 |title=MasterCard – 2015 Global Destination Cities Index |url=https://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MasterCard-GDCI-2015-Final-Report1.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195105/https://newsroom.mastercard.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/MasterCard-GDCI-2015-Final-Report1.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref> Tourism is one of London's prime industries, employing 700,000 full-time workers in 2016, and contributes £36&nbsp;billion a year to the economy.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=A Tourism Vision for London |url=https://files.londonandpartners.com/l-and-p/assets/london_tourism_vision_aug_2017.pdf |access-date=27 March 2021 |website=[[London and Partners]] |pages=6–7}}</ref> The city accounts for 54% of all inbound visitor spending in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 April 2015 |title=VisitBritain |url=https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150806112308/https://www.visitbritain.org/visitor-economy-facts |archive-date=6 August 2015 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref> {{As of|2016}} London was the world top city destination as ranked by [[TripAdvisor]] users.<ref>{{Cite news |date=21 March 2016 |title=London named No.1 city destination on TripAdvisor |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-35840394 |access-date=25 March 2021}}</ref>

In 2015 the top most-visited attractions in the UK were all in London. The top 10 most visited attractions were (with visits per venue):<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-35730578 |title=British Museum tops UK visitor attractions list |date=7 March 2016 |access-date=19 January 2017 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
#[[British Museum]]: 6,820,686
#[[National Gallery]]: 5,908,254
#[[Natural History Museum, London|Natural History Museum]] (South Kensington): 5,284,023
#[[Southbank Centre]]: 5,102,883
#[[Tate Modern]]: 4,712,581
#[[Victoria and Albert Museum]] (South Kensington): 3,432,325
#[[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]]: 3,356,212
#[[Somerset House]]: 3,235,104
#[[Tower of London]]: 2,785,249
#[[National Portrait Gallery, London|National Portrait Gallery]]: 2,145,486

The number of hotel rooms in London in 2023 stood at 155,700 and is expected to grow to 183,600 rooms, the most of any city outside China.<ref>{{cite news |title=London Poised to Take Hotel Crown From Las Vegas |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-04-26/what-city-has-the-most-hotel-rooms-london-to-pass-las-vegas-tokyo?embedded-checkout=true |access-date=7 April 2024 |work=Bloomberg}}</ref> Luxury hotels in London include [[Savoy Hotel|the Savoy]] (opened in 1889), [[Claridge's]] (opened in 1812 and rebuilt in 1898), [[The Ritz Hotel, London|the Ritz]] (opened in 1906) and [[the Dorchester]] (opened in 1931), while budget hotel chains include [[Premier Inn]] and [[Travelodge]].<ref>{{cite news |title=London's Most Historic Hotels |url=https://londonist.com/london/history/historic-hotels |access-date=7 April 2024 |work=Londonist}}</ref>