LTB targets business visitors

LTB targets business visitors

THELONDONTourist Board has put the need to attract high- spending business visitors as the top priority for the coming year.

Domestic visitors rose to 14.8 million, according to its annual report and accounts for the year 1999/2000 – a 28% increase on the previous year.

But spend only rose by 14%, highlighting a need for growth in business spending. The London Convention Bureau produced a new three-year business plan, introduced earlier this year, which aims at increasing visitor spend, developing business sales leads and driving up use of its Internet site.

LTB chairman David Batts said: “While the low-spending visiting friends and relatives market is currently very strong in London, it is encouraging to see the high-spending business market growing in numbers and length of stay. Business and conference visitors are crucial.”