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From royal weddings to the World Cup, some events get everyone talking. Here, the team at The Waterfront Hotel in Bedfordshire, an ideal venue for Christmas parties, explore the impact these events have on the host country’s tourism…

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The royal wedding is still the topic on everyone’s lips, following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lavish nuptials at Windsor Castle. While 11 million Brits watched the ceremony unfold live, an estimated 150,000 people lined the streets of Windsor to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds and join in the celebrations – and the majority of these visitors arrived from overseas. On Friday 18th May, just 24 hours before the wedding took place, Heathrow Airport reported the arrival of over 125,000 passengers, up 15% on the Friday before. What’s more, Eurostar travel was up 54% for journeys between Brussels to London against the same period in 2017.

According to some reports, demand for hotel accommodation in Windsor was so high, some hotels were charging up to £10,000 per stay! Of course, these premium hotels were in a prime location to catch a glimpse of the couple. And, while the day itself may be over, Windsor is expected to enjoy the tourism benefits long into the future. Around two billion people across the world watched the wedding and it’s expected that many who have been wowed by historic Windsor will take a trip to the UK.

According to VisitBritain, the number of tourists visiting Britain from overseas will grow by 4%, spending £26.9 billion while they’re here – up 7% on 2017’s figures. The number of visitors from America is on the up too, potentially a result of newlywed Meghan’s US heritage. There will be a predicted 15% rise in US visitors to Britain this year, adding £3.4 billion to the country.

While Windsor’s royal connections have always attracted tourists, the royal wedding has clearly amplified this appeal on a global scale.

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