Cash and courses to help the capital’s tourism businesses

The capital’s mayor Boris Johnson has approved an increase of nearly £750,000 to Visit London campaigns aimed at stimulating visits to the capital in the build up to Christmas and into 2009.

This extra cash will take the total amount spent on promoting London in the UK and abroad to £3.25m over the next four months. This is expected to deliver £70 million in economic benefit to the city.

Mayor Johnson said, ‘Tourism is massively important for jobs and growth in London. By continuing to promote the city both nationally and internationally, I want to ensure that London remains one of the world’s most visited destinations.’

The private/public partnership will be led by Visit London and funded by the London Development Agency. The initiative starts at the beginning of December and will be introduced across key visitor markets until the end of March 2009.

The Visit London website offers more information on marketing opportunities with the organisation.

The London Development Agency (LDA) has also announced a number of free workshops specially designed to help small and medium-sized tourism and hospitality businesses in the capital manage in the downturn.

The half-day workshop Managing in a Downturn looks at the challenges London tourism businesses are facing as a result of the credit crunch. The next event will be held in February 2009.

For more information on the LDA's programme of support for businesses including Green Tourism for London, Get London Graded and London Open to All, please visit www.lda.gov.uk/tourismsupport