London Eye, pioneering observation wheel, turns 25
By Francesca Halliwell and Will Russell
LONDON (Reuters) - Tourists wanting a bird's eye view of Big Ben, St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace have put the London Eye in the ranks of the city's most visited attractions since it was opened 25 years ago on Sunday.
The observation wheel, which offers visitors a 30-minute ride in a glass pod, was supposed to stand for five years before being dismantled, but its popularity led to it being made a permanent fixture on the River Thames last year.
On a clear day, tourists riding the wheel can spot Windsor Castle, the royal family's 900 year-old home 40 kilometers (24.85 miles) away, while for Britons it has become synonymous with the city's fireworks on New Year's Eve.
The wheel was the idea of husband and wife architects David Marks and Julia Barfield to celebrate the millennium. Its shape symbolises the cycle of life.
"A circle has no beginning and no end. It is symbolic of the passing of time," Barfield told Reuters, adding that when it opened, it was one of the few options for a view of London from a height.
Since it started operating, the city's skyline has been transformed by new skyscrapers that can be viewed from the wheel. All named after their shapes, The Gherkin opened in 2004, the Shard, London's tallest building, followed in 2013 and the Cheesegrater in 2014.
About 3.5 million people pay from 29 pounds ($37.17) per ticket to ride the London Eye each year.
Its popularity has inspired dozens of copycat wheels in cities around the world, but at 135 metres (442.91 ft) tall, the London Eye remains the world's largest cantilevered observation wheel.
The architects' plan was for the attraction to revitalise a part of London's South Bank, and 1% of the attraction's annual revenues are paid to help maintain the public area around.
($1 = 0.7802 pounds)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
British holidaymakers to miss out on compensation after EU rule change
Britons will miss out on compensation for delayed flights after Brussels adopted a rule change following complaints from airlines. Payouts that were previously triggered by delays exceeding three hours will now only be made after four hours of holdups, European transport ministers agreed. The new regulation, hammered out following a decade of discussions and bargaining over passenger compensation, will apply to all services from EU countries to the UK. For the time being, travellers headed from Britain to the Continent will still qualify for a refund when flight delays hit the three-hour mark, unless they are flying with an EU-registered airline. While raising the compensation threshold, ministers also agreed to increase the minimum level of payment from €250 (£210) to €300 for shorter journeys and to €500 for those above 3,500km (2,175 miles). The original regulation, known as EU261, was passed in 2004 with the aim of ensuring that passengers received money and assistance in the event of flights being cancelled at short notice. Following Brexit, the UK adopted it into law so that the rights of travellers remained unchanged. However, the Government will now have to decide whether to adopt the amendments for outbound flights or stick with the original version. Taking no action might be welcomed by consumer groups but would have consequences for UK airlines, which would be at a disadvantage to their European rivals. It could also affect fares, with Ryanair having claimed that EU261 costs passengers £7 per ticket. Airlines for Europe, an industry group, had pressed for a higher compensation threshold, arguing that extending it to five hours – as originally proposed by the European Commission – would allow 70pc of flights that are cancelled to be rescued. It argued said that airlines inevitably scrapped flights once compensation was triggered, especially since the payouts involved were often higher than the ticket prices charged. It said a five-hour threshold would have made it more practical for carriers to fly in replacement aircraft so that more flights would get away, potentially benefiting 10m passengers a year. A spokesman said: 'Getting to their destination is the primary concern of passengers, even if it means getting to bed or arriving at their holiday resort late. But with a low cancellation threshold it makes more sense to call off the flight and take that hit.' Airlines have also railed against the fact that the compensation applies whether delays are caused by a crew shortage or technical issue that might be laid at their door, or by severe weather or air traffic control issues beyond their control. A number of extraordinary circumstances are expected to be added as part of revisions to 31 different air passenger rights. The revisions must still clear the European Parliament but are expected to become law in the bloc by the end of the year. The Department for Transport said the UK did not have to amend its legislation in line with any changes from the EU, and that any potential future reforms would require careful consideration on their merits, and be subject to public consultation. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
India vows to keep up development in Kashmir after tourist attack
By Sakshi Dayal NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India is committed to efforts to develop its restive territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, accusing neighbour Pakistan of seeking to destroy livelihoods there with April's deadly attack on tourists. He was speaking on his first visit to the Himalayan region since Islamist attackers targeted Hindu tourists in the popular Pahalgam area, killing 26 men, triggering hostilities between the nuclear-armed neighbours that ended in ceasefire last month. "The atmosphere of development that emerged in Jammu and Kashmir will not be hindered by the attack ... I will not let development stop here," Modi said in remarks after inaugurating infrastructure projects. Key among these was a $5-billion rail link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India, which has been more than 40 years in the making and features the world's highest railway arch bridge. Others include highways, city roads and a new medical college. India has accused Pakistan of backing the April attack, a claim denied by Islamabad, and they engaged in four days of fierce fighting last month before agreeing to a ceasefire. Pakistan aimed to disrupt the livelihoods of the poor in Kashmir, who rely heavily on tourism, Modi said, adding that he would face down any obstacle to regional development. Pakistan's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Modi's remarks. Last month, Islamabad said a just and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential to ensure lasting peace in the region, known for its snow-topped mountains, scenic lakes, lush meadows, and tulip gardens. The region, which drew more than 3 million visitors last year, is at the heart of the hostility between the old foes, both of which claim it in full, but rule it in part and have fought two of their three wars over it. India also accuses Pakistan of supporting Islamist militants battling security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation. Trains run in the Kashmir Valley but the new link is its first to the wider Indian railway network. Apart from boosting the regional economy, it is expected to help revive tourism, which plummeted after the April attack. ($1=85.7500 Indian rupees)
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘Britons don't want to come to Tenerife anymore – they don't feel wanted'
British holidaymakers and the Canary Islands have been in love with one another since the 1960s when the first package deals attracted sun-starved northern Europeans at affordable prices. However, recent headlines suggest the romance is waning, with an acrimonious split said to be on the cards. Sensational stories of hotel guests hiding in their rooms from riotous anti-tourist demonstrations, British restaurant patrons being spat at by furious locals, and plane loads of UK arrivals suffocating in inhumane conditions in two-hour queues at Tenerife South's arrivals hall have left many questioning whether their loyalty – and their holiday euros – would be more appreciated elsewhere. A proposed tourist tax could make things even more expensive in the near future, too. But does this narrative hold up, or is it just a case of holiday hysteria whipped up by clickbait headlines? It's hard to ignore the protests that have been going on in the Canary Islands since April 2024, when tens of thousands peacefully demonstrated under the banner of 'Canarias tiene un limite' ('the Canaries have a limit'). But despite what some of the headlines seek to portray, protesters insist their gripe isn't against sun-seeking Britons, but principally about what they see as an unchecked tourism model that is progressively pricing locals out of their own communities, overwhelming the islands' infrastructure, and destroying ecosystems and environments both on land and in the ocean. As Brian Harrison, from the Salvar la Tejita protest group, says: 'At no point was the protest aimed at tourists or tourism. Every one of the [17] organisations that took part values sustainable tourism as positive for the economy. The protest was clearly aimed at the unsustainable mass-tourism crisis which the Canarian government, island council and certain town halls are responsible for.' Over 104,000 homes in the Canaries are owned by companies and large-scale property speculators. Meanwhile, during the past five years wages have dropped by nearly 7 per cent and rents have increased by 40 per cent, an unsustainable position for local workers, and the reason why hospitality workers are threatening further strike action this summer. Nevertheless, it's clear that some British holidaymakers are taking the ongoing grievances personally. One local, employed by says she's aware of a definite shift in mood: 'My family back in the UK are saying a lot of people they know don't want to come to Tenerife anymore because of the protests. They say they don't feel wanted.' And she's not alone. Tenerife estate agent Martin Astley says: 'We do get people contacting us asking if it's safe to come to Tenerife now because of what they're seen in the news. We always explain that the media are blowing things out of proportion, using dramatic, false headlines when the reality is nothing like what they're trying to portray.' Major UK travel providers aren't panicking; far from it. Tui has actually increased its Canary Islands capacity this summer, adding 40,000 extra seats from UK airports, while easyJet has launched new routes to Tenerife from London Southend. In other words, despite the headlines, tour operators clearly still have faith in the destination. The next big round of protests is taking place on June 15, but these marches are planned for mainland Spain and the Balearics, not currently the Canary Islands. Néstor Marrero, secretary of Tenerife's Friends of Nature Association, says that for now, the archipelago's protest groups have decided to change tack. Instead, they're focusing on occupying local landmarks, starting with Teide National Park on June 7. So, while Barcelona and Mallorca may see crowds chanting for change, Tenerife and the other seven islands should remain peaceful on June 15. Having said that, if media headlines fail to make this distinction, there's bound to be a few more holidaymakers who get the wrong end of the stick and look at alternative summer holiday destinations like Turkey, Tunisia and Albania. Santiago Sesé, president of Tenerife's Chamber of Commerce, recently reported an 8 per cent drop in UK summer bookings compared with last year. And Pedro Alfonso from the region's Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organisations admitted that there had been 'a notable slump' in reservations for the forthcoming season. However, other sources suggest 2025 could be a record year for tourism to the archipelago. According to Spain's National Statistics Institute, the Canary Islands welcomed over 4.36 million international visitors in the first quarter of this year – a new record, up more than 2 per cent year on year. Of those, over 40 per cent came from the UK, with Tenerife taking the lion's share. The British love affair with the Canaries may have cooled, but for now the planes are arriving full, and the hotels are still reporting high occupancy levels. Indeed, local business owners are sympathetic over the calls for change. What they're more worried about is the damage to the island's image due to misreporting. As local entrepreneur John Parkes says: 'I'm supportive of the protests. My concern is that the demonstrations are misinterpreted by the public and the media. The aims of the protests are to make the tourist model fairer for the people who live here.' The reality is that the destination is just as warm and welcoming as it's ever been, and visitors are unlikely to even notice the unrest amongst the islanders who understandably want the government to prioritise their needs over the demands of an ever-expanding tourism industry. What's happening in the Canaries isn't a British retreat, it's an island reckoning, and if it does lead to a fairer, more sustainable tourism model, that should be something worth raising a glass of sangria to. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
