Khan’s Covid recovery campaign for London’s battered tourism sector pulls in £70m
London mayor Sadiq Khan’s pandemic recovery campaign for the capital’s battered tourism sector has pulled £70m into the sector, according to London & Partners CEO Allen Simpson.
The campaign, which launched in May, was to bring a well needed boost to London’s tourism sector after emergency Covid-19 restrictions decimated the industry.
Speaking at City Hall today, Simpson said: “The Let’s Do London campaign has, I think, been very necessary and very effective. It’s had a roughly £70 million impact on the tourism sector in terms of increased spend.
“The impact on protecting jobs, I think, has been very strong. We will continue to see that effect over the autumn and the winter seasons.”
The campaign drew around 280,000 visitors to the capital over the summer, Simpson added.
“As a campaign pulled together by the industry, by the mayor and supported by national government as well, I think this has been a very strong contribution.”
Khan told City A.M.: “Getting London’s economy back on its feet has been one of my top priorities since being re-elected and I am delighted that my Let’s Do London campaign – the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital has ever seen – has had such a positive impact for the city.
“Too many businesses and jobs have been lost due to the pandemic, that’s why I will continue to do everything I can to support London’s recovery, because when London succeeds, the whole country succeeds.”
Though Shaun Bailey told Morning Wire that PR was not enough to breathe London’s industry back to life.
“The Let’s Do London campaign can’t make up for the mayor’s damaging decisions. He’s cancelled the fireworks display. Kept the congestion charge hike. And dithered over reopening the Night Tube. We can’t get visitors and commuters back into London with PR alone.”
Morning Wire has contacted City Hall for comment.