London’s hotels and other accommodation recorded over 56 million overnight stays last year, more than any other city in Europe, new research reveals.

According to European Cities Marketing there were over 41 million overnight stays from international tourists, proving that the city remains open to visitors from all over the world.

Overall London grew seven per cent year-on-year.

Rajesh Agrawal, deputy mayor of London for business, said: “These sensational figures show London’s enduring appeal as one of the most popular international destinations.

“With our world-class sport, culture, art, history and architecture, it is not surprising that visitors continue to flock to the capital, proving that London is open to people from all four corners of the world.”

Paris had the second most number of overnight stays followed by Berlin, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Vienna, Munich and Amsterdam.

Ignasi de Delàs, ECM president, explained: “We saw another exceptionally successful year for city tourism in Europe. London and Paris remain by far the two most popular cities in Europe, although there is very strong growth from many other cities.

“Europe offers tourists an unrivalled array of culture, history and food experiences which, coupled with a diverse accommodation sector, means cities across the continent are hosting more and more travellers.”