Royal Baby Birth To See An Increase In Travel To London From Italy, Australia And Other Nations

The number of tourists caught up in royal baby fervor, and visiting London in July for the birth is set to increase, giving a boost to Britain’s economy, according to travel website Lastminute.com.

The website noted that overall flight bookings to London have increased by 17 percent while hotel bookings were up 13 percent in the last week of June, and it expected traffic to increase further as Kate Middleton's due date approaches, Breaking News Travel reported.

“Our booking trends suggest that Royal fever shows no sign of slowing down. Whether jetting in from overseas or escaping the madness of the capital altogether, it isn’t everyday a future King or Queen is born and the ripples are already being felt in travel,” Mark Maddock, UK and Ireland Managing Director of Lastminute.com, told Breaking News Travel.

“London is a fantastic city to visit at any time, but the excitement of a Royal baby is providing an extra special reason to stay this July,” Maddock added.

According to Breaking News Travel, Italians too seem to be excited about the royal baby’s arrival, as flights from Italy to London have increased 118 percent year-on year. Even the French seem to be taken in by the significance of the event as bookings from France to London have gone up by 12 percent in June.

Australia, too, is not far behind, as a strong Australian dollar has buoyed Aussie interest in holidaying in the UK. Travel agents in Australia told News.com.au that there has been an increase in the number of people wanting to vacation in London, and they feel the spike in interest can be attributed to the impending birth of the heir to Britain's throne.

"The much-anticipated arrival of the Duchess of Cambridge's baby has given holiday-makers even more reason to head back to London," Peter Williams, chief executive officer of Adelaide-based agency Phil Hoffman Travel, told News.com.au. "We know of some travellers organising their itineraries to maximise the chance of receiving a royal baby bonus on their holiday," he added.