Visitors are helping to keep London open. But for how long?
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Version 0 of 1. Amid the flap and consternation in the capital that followed the Brexit vote came stories of a tourism bonanza thanks to a resulting plunge in the value of the pound. Now, new figures released by Airbnb indicate that the boom has had staying power. The company is reporting a 24% increase in visits to London by people using its service since the referendum result. That number is spectacular, yet also not out of line with the story of international visitors to London this year before the jarring result of 23 June. In the first three months of 2016, London received a record 3.8 million visits by overseas travellers, according to the Office for National Statistics international passenger survey. The pound was weak then too, and events like Lumiere London helped persuade tourists and others to spend over £2.2bn during that winter and early spring period, according to the city’s official promotional company, London and Partners - an increase of 4% compared with the same period in 2015. The burning question now is whether London’s increasing magnetism for visitors and their money can be sustained in the long term. Walking along Bankside and then through Theatreland to Piccadilly Circus on Thursday afternoon, it was hard to imagine the capital losing its allure. The place was heaving with sightseers and pleasure-seekers, wandering beside the river, watching entertainers in Leicester Square and Covent Garden and asking the way to Trafalgar Square. A summer holiday mood was evident around City Hall too (as the photograph above hopefully shows). But no one is taking anything for granted. The mayoral cry of “London Is Open” is being taken up with great urgency. The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for example, welcomes the long-awaited start of the Night Tube service from 19 August, with its chief executive Colin Stanbridge saying it will “underpin the growth of our city” and be “a sign of confidence in London’s future,” but they continue to press the government to give the go-ahead for airport expansion. London and Partners are pumping out the message that the city is replete both with major events and attractions and with cultural “hidden gems”. Soon, the capital will be marking the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London and its aftermath. Local bloggers have compiled #SeeMoreLondon guides to cultural wonders away from the centre. Come, friendly foreigners. Enjoy our mighty city. Calm our nervous economy. Spend our puny pounds. |