17.4 million tourists. Quite a number for the British capital London. London welcomed more international visitors than ever before in 2014, with the city’s cultural attractions and world-class sporting events proving irresistible draws for millions, according to new figures released today by the Office for National Statistics International Passenger Survey (IPS). The new figures show there were 17.4 million visits to the city in 2014 up 3.5% from the previous record of 16.8million visits in 2013. The surge in visitors since the 2012 Olympic Games has been welcomed by businesses as international visitors are spending more in the city’s restaurants, hotels and attractions than ever before. In 2014 visitors boosted London’s economy by £11.8 billion compared to £11.5 billion in 2013, an increase of 3%.