LONDON
mayor Ken Livingstone is going cap in hand to the industry to support a
multi-million pound tourism plan for the capital.
Along
with British Airways chairman Lord Marshall and London Tourist Board chairwoman
Tamara Ingram, Livingstone has launched a three-year strategy – Visit London –
to improve leadership, funding and the structure of London’s tourism.
He
has earmarked £4 million for the plan, on top of £3 million already dedicated
to improving tourism this year, and wants industry to match him penny for
penny.
The
main goals are professional private sector involvement and investment,
increased awareness from Government, strategies for enhancing London’s tourism
infrastructure and better use of data to improve marketing.
Livingstone
said: “With growing competition from around the world, London can no longer
afford to take its status for granted. We could do much better, but for too
long the tourist industry has lacked sufficient Government support and a sense
of strategic direction.”
He will be involved in developing a new company to
market London, which will be set up by April 2003.