World's Top Landmarks

The Eiffel Tower, has been hailed as the most iconic landmark in the world, according to a study.

The instantly recognisable structure, constructed by Gustave Eiffel in 1889, was found to be more popular among Brits than the Grand Canyon and Big Ben – which both came second and third respectively.

The poll of 2,000 adults revealed other celebrated landmarks in the top 30 list, including the Acropolis of Athens and Machu Picchu in Peru.

Colm Lacy, British Airways’ commercial manager for Gatwick, which commissioned the study to celebrate their ‘Inspire Us’ travel photography challenge, said: “The research shows that London leads the way with three of the top five most iconic sights, proving that travel inspiration starts at home.” 

1. Eiffel Tower- Paris – France
2. The Grand Canyon – USA
3. Big Ben – England
4. Stonehenge – England
5. Houses of Parliament – England
6. Statue of Liberty- USA
7. The Pyramids of Giza – Egypt
8. Great Wall of China – China
9. Tower of Pisa – Italy
10. Niagara Falls – USA/Canada
11. The Taj Mahal – India
12. The Colosseum – Italy
13. The Great Sphinx – Egypt
14. Edinburgh Castle – Scotland
15. Empire State Building – USA
16. Sydney Opera House – Australia
17. Mount Everest – Nepal
18. Pompeii- Italy
19. Golden Gate Bridge – USA
20. Ayres Rock – Australia
21. Great Barrier Reef – Australia
22. Loch Ness – Scotland
23. The Rivers of Venice – Venice
24. Acropolis of Athens – Greece
25. The Louvre – France
26. Machu Picchu – Peru
27. Christ the Redeemer – Brazil
28. The Hollywood Sign – USA
29. The White House – USA
30. Mount Rushmore – USA

The average adult has seen ten iconic landmarks in the list, though one fifth of the adults polled had only experienced two or less.

Seven in ten Brits are concerned that they haven’t seen enough of the world, with 79 per cent who admitted they’re prepared to spend a good amount of cash on expanding their life experience.

After being asked about the world’s landmarks, 44 per cent of the adults confessed they were ‘completely bored’ with their lives, with over half who expressed a feeling of repetitiveness day-to-day.

Colm Lacy said, ‘’Not only does this list of landmarks remind us of how grand and impressive the world is, it can act as a reminder to live life to the full.”

What is your favourite landmark?