uk & ireland regions


Market Hall Fulham is a new foodie venue in a repurposed Edwardian underground station


Enduring appeal of London


Far from resting on its laurels, London is aiming to attract more visitors out of season and into lesser-known areas, Debbie Ward discovers


G


rowing visitor numbers and positive signs from emerging markets are prompting London to encourage tourists to experience new seasons and parts of the city. International arrivals to London grew by 4% year-on-year in 2017 to 19.8 million, while spending was up 14% to a record £13.5 billion. North American visits showed a particular growth – up 11% on 2016. Tracy


Halliwell, director of tourism at the mayor’s


offi cial promotion


agency, London & Partners, says: “It’s a testament to London’s enduring appeal that visitors continue to be drawn to our fantastic city to experience our ever-evolving cultural institutions, world- class restaurants, shopping and plentiful green spaces.”


Visits predicted to soar London & Partners and industry leaders


project that international and domestic visits to London will reach 40.4 million by 2025, with China then India the fastest-growing inbound markets. Signifi cant new interest is also predicted to come from the Middle East, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, with an estimated growth rate of around 4% a year. In addition to a government plan to


improve capacity with a third runway at Heathrow, the capital has been working towards sustainable inbound growth. A 2025 Tourism


Hotel Indigo Leicester Square has a rooftop bar/restaurant and includes decorative nods to the famous surrounding cinemas


Vision has been drawn up by London & Partners with


input from more than wtm.com autumn 2018 wtm insights 69


© Jim Stephenson


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