Only the Swedes placed the West End among their top three with even American tourists ranking a trip to a musical below taking the mountain train up Snowdon, or spending a night in Newcastle's bars.
The French would prefer to spot wildlife in the Scottish Highlands above anything else. The Turks' activity of choice is a leisurely steam cruise in the Lake District.
The Indians, Chinese and Argentinans all ranked fish and chips as the least desirable thing they would like to do on visiting Britain. Football was the second most popular choice among men, and ranked dead last among women, who would much prefer to go shopping.
Speaking yesterday, Sandie Dawe, VisitBritain chief executive, said: "Britain is a tourism destination that offers experiences for every taste.
Where else in the world can you watch a top-flight Premier League game in the same afternoon as a tour around a quaint Cotswold village?
"Our mixture of new culture and old heritage combines seamlessly to offer a unique experience which is envied across the world and currently enjoyed in record numbers."
Two months ago, official figures revealed Britain is enjoying a record year for tourism, with overseas visitors set to spend a record £20 billion on these shores this year.
Foreign tourists made 22 million visits to the UK in the first eight months of the year, up 6 per cent on 2012 despite the Olympic Games.
The number of Europeans visiting the UK were up 17 per cent on the same eight months a year ago. Earlier this summer, Buckingham Palace won an industry award for being the best attraction for group visits for the second year in a row.
The state rooms at the Palace are open to the public every August and September.
THE TOP 'ONLY IN BRITAIN' ACTIVITIES
1.Visit Buckingham Palace
2.View London from Shard tower/London Eye
3.Visit Edinburgh Castle
4.Spot wildlife in Scottish highlands
5.Shop on London's Oxford Street
6.Take a leisurely steam cruise in the Lake District
7.Dine by the fire in a cosy Welsh pub
8.Go to a Premier League football match
9.Take the mountain train up Snowdon
10.Relax in Bath rooftop spa overlooking Roman baths
11.Visit 16th century historic Chatsworth House
12.Go walking in Yorkshire's moors & Hills
13.Tour around quaint Cotswold villages
14.Have fish & chips at the seaside
15.Enjoy traditional afternoon tea & cakes
16.Enjoy a night out in Newcastle's bars
17.Go on the Harry Potter studio tour
18.Watch a musical in London's West End
Countries polled: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, S Africa, S Korea, Sweden, Turkey, USA.
Source : http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/564649/s/3496c9fa/sc/10/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cuknews0C10A50A38840CBuckingham0EPalace0Etakes0Ecrown0Eas0Emost0Edesirable0Eonly0Ein0EBritain0Edestination0Efor0Etourists0Bhtml/story01.htm