A new group of London attractions is working with the city’s tourist board on marketing campaigns to reverse a steep decline in British visitors.
The London Attractions Forum was created in October 2018, as leisure leaders and tourism organisations aimed to tackle the domestic downturn.
The forum is now working with London & Partners on an autumn campaign to encourage more British visitors to visit the capital.
The creation of the London Attractions Forum was spearheaded by City Cruises, which operates passenger services on the River Thames, as well as in York and Poole.
It has worked with isango!, a specialist online retailer of experiences, to look at visitor trends, as British numbers to London have dropped over the past three years.
isango! said London bookings by Brits for leisure excursions fell by 38% year-on-year in 2018 – although numbers in the regions rose by 13%.
Numbers in Bath soared by 110%, while Edinburgh saw growth of 24% and Oxford was up 22%.
Glasgow, Cardiff and Cambridge also saw double-digit increases.
Furthermore, London saw growth from international visitors in 2018, with Asia travellers up 7% year-on-year and US customers increasing by 35%.
Dharmesh Garala, head of digital at isango!, said: “London has experienced a number of negative events over the last couple years, from train strikes to protests, which may have deterred those living outside London to visit.
“TV also plays a pivotal role in influencing travellers. Game of Thrones has inspired people to travel to Northern Ireland, while Downton Abbey motivates Brits to visit the country’s stately homes, which we believe has contributed to the growth in regional tourism.”
Kyle Haughton, City Cruises’ managing director, added: “The London Attractions Forum has hit the ground running and we are excited to see how London & Partners will support their partners through the promotion of the city.
“There are also growth opportunities for the capital’s tourism businesses within the M25 radius.
“If we encouraged a further 5% of Londoners to visit a London attraction or experience it could boost the capital’s coffers by at least £4 million.”
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