Take a Trip to London: Greenwich confirmed as a World destination
Greenwich has today been listed in the top ten global destinations for 2012, by one of the world’s top travel guides.
Greenwich – which becomes a Royal Borough in January – is the only UK destination in the list published this week by Frommer’s, the well respected travel guides.
Greenwich’s inclusion in the list for 2012 reflects a truly special year for the borough, as it prepares to become the Royal Borough of Greenwich from 3 January, before going on to host a total of 34 events in nine sports during the London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Greenwich’s three venues – Greenwich Park, hosting the equestrian events and modern pentathlon, The Greenwich Arena with gymnastics and the basketball finals, and Woolwich Barracks with shooting events – make Greenwich the largest Olympic and Paralympic venue outside the Olympic Park itself.
It will also be the year in which the Cutty Sark is restored to its former splendour in the heart of Greenwich’s town centre.
A cultural festival will animate the borough’s streets and open spaces, attracting thousands more visitors and taking place before, during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games. This includes the Greenwich Festivals, a series of high-quality events which celebrate the cultural vibrancy of Greenwich.
Leader of Greenwich Council Chris Roberts said, “Greenwich is a destination that is known throughout the world, attracting some 18 million visitors each year to its unrivalled collection of historic buildings and open spaces, its riverfront and its cultural attractions.
“It is very gratifying that Frommer’s have this year chosen to highlight Greenwich as a top-ten attraction. With Greenwich set to become a Royal Borough in January, and a Host Borough for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games later in the year, it is a fitting time for Greenwich to take centre stage.
“Travellers from across the globe should know that in Greenwich they will receive a warm welcome, as they discover the richness and diversity of our visitor attractions.”
Greenwich is known internationally as the home of Greenwich Mean Time and the world’s Prime Meridian line, 0olongitude. It is a place of rare beauty, with miles of riverside frontage and acres of green open spaces. It is vibrant with its arts, events, markets and restaurants.
Greenwich’s architecture and heritage reflect a long history of Royal connections that date back almost 600 years - with close links to England’s Tudor and Stuart sovereigns - and continue right up to the present day.
Maritime Greenwich has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. With Greenwich having played a key role in the story of Britain’s seapower for over 400 years, its museums today reflect strong associations with maritime exploration, navigation and scientific endeavour.
Visitor attractions and historic landmarks in Maritime Greenwich include the National Maritime Museum, Old Royal Naval College, the Cutty Sark, the Old Royal Observatory, the Peter Harrison Planetarium, the Prime Meridian - longitude zero - and London’s oldest royal park, Greenwich Park. Between them these destinations attract millions of visitors each year from across the globe.
Film locations that add to Greenwich’s attractions include the Old Royal Naval College, location for ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’ and ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’.
The accolade from Frommer’s stands alongside the ongoing achievement of The O2 Arena at the nearby Greenwich Peninsula, which is officially the world’s most successful entertainment venue, and has hosted entertainers such as the Rolling Stones and Prince, and sports events including the annual finals of the World Tennis Masters Series.
Other attractions beyond Maritime Greenwich include Eltham Palace, childhood home of Henry VIII, whose Tudor remains sit alongside the 1930s Art Deco decadence built by the wealthy Courtauld family. Nearby Woolwich’s attractions centre on its military connections, with Firepower the official museum of the Royal Artillery less than a mile from Woolwich Barracks, dating from 1781 and with a parade ground whose 1,000-foot frontage is the longest in Europe.
On the Thames at Charlton can be found the Thames Barrier, a triumph of engineering built to stop the Thames from flooding.
Visitor attractions and hospitality in Greenwich continue to develop and expand. The National Maritime Museum opened its stunning new Sammy Ofer wing earlier this year, while in Cutty Sark Gardens the world-renowned clipper ship will reopen in 2012 in the centre of a refurbished urban open space, attractively landscaped with spaces for performances and events that will enhance the area’s excitement for visitors and local residents.
The refurbished Greenwich Pier, through which thousands of visitors arrive in Greenwich each day, will open in 2012, as will London’s first cruise liner terminal at nearby Enderby’s Wharf.
New hotels planned for the borough will ensure that the available bed-spaces increase fourfold over the next year or so. Three boutique hotels have been granted planning permission, with at least one, in Greenwich town centre, due to open in the first half of 2012.
Other highlights planned for 2012 include:
- a major new exhibition at the National Maritime Museum - Royal River: Power, Pageantry and the Thames - runs from 27 April next year and will be open to the public throughout the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games
- the inaugural Sail Royal Greenwich – 25 July to12 August – during which 20 tall ships will ply a scenic route along the Thames, taking in many famous highlights of London and offering a daily spectacle during the Olympics. Sail Royal Greenwich will offer corporate clients the opportunity to entertain guests aboard a beautiful tall ship, showcasing the best of what London can offer.
Tourism is worth £774 million to the local economy. It is also a major source of local employment, helping to support more than 8,000 jobs
1 For up to date details of Greenwich as a visitor attraction and a business destination visitwww.destinationgreenwich.co.uk
2 Greenwich Festivals is a series of high-quality events which celebrate the cultural vibrancy of Greenwich. Events fall into six main categories: community, dance, street, music, comedy, children. For details visit:www.greenwich.gov.uk/festivals
3 Frommer's is America’s bestselling travel guide series, with over 2.5 million guides sold each year. Frommer's collection of travel products includes over 300 guidebooks as well as the Frommers.com website. To view Frommer’s top 10 destinations for 2012 visit: www.frommers.com/micro/2011/
