Queen raking in the moolah as tourists rain down on Buckingham Palace
London, August 26 : The number of paying visitors to the Queen's Buckingham Palace in
London has increased by eight per cent in the first three weeks of the annual summer
opening from July 29.
Palace officials have been extending opening hours on some days to entertain a huge
number of tourists.
The rise in the number of tourists to the palace comes despite a five per cent fall in
foreign tourists to Britain this summer.
Royal aides are yet not certain whether the increase is due to more Britons holidaying
at home because of the credit crunch, or whether it reflects the popularity of this
summer's central attraction: a recreation of a state banquet in the Palace ballroom.
In the first three weeks of the summer opening we've been about eight per cent up on
average on the same period last year, which we're very pleased about, the Daily Express
quoted Frances Dunkels, spokeswoman for the Royal Collection, which uses part of the
revenue from the summer opening to help the Queen maintain Windsor Castle, as saying.
We haven't had the chance yet to get a proper breakdown of the visitors and where
they're from, she added.
The rise in visitor numbers at the palace is in contrast to many of Britain's other
major attractions, including fellow royal residence Windsor Castle, where tourist figures
are reportedly flat.
--ANI
