Tourism chief: 14 million say London is the top destination

TOURISM chiefs today hit back at claims that London is ill-equipped to get maximum benefit from hosting the Olympics.

Visit London defended its 2012 strategy after a survey showed that the capital was not in the top 25 global travel destinations.

Researchers from travel website TripAdvisor, who polled millions of customers, warned that London was running out of time to broaden its appeal.

Emma O'Boyle of TripAdvisor said: "This will serve as a stark wake-up call to London. There is still work to do to convince travellers that England's capital is a world-class tourist destination."

But Visit London's director of communications Ken Kelling said London's tourist industry could reap a £1.3 billion Olympic dividend in the decade up to 2017.

Mr Kelling said: "We are making a huge effort to gear up for the Olympics. London is the No 1 visitor destination in the world with 14 million visitors last year — people are voting with their feet."