Uncertainty about Visit London quelled

With the reduction in funding hitting the tourism industry hard, the future of VisitLondon was in question until London’s mayor, Boris Johnson, announced the creation of an umbrella agency to promote all aspects of the capital, both at home and abroad.

Promote London (working title) will bring together Visit London, Think London and Study London (which deal with tourism, inward investment and international students respectively) in a funding deal worth £14m a year over the next four years.

The new promotion agency will allow a more co-ordinated approach to promoting the capital city internationally with the mission to “promote London through one voice as the world capital of business, the world’s top international visitor destination and the world’s leading international centre of learning and creativity.”

The expected benefits will be to maintain London’s share of the global tourism market, to increase the city’s share of the meeting, incentives, conferences and events market, to maintain its position as a top destination for international students, and to retain its position as a top destination in Europe for inward investment.

The new agency will continue to work in collaboration with VisitBritain, VisitEngland and all national boards to make sure the profile of London is maximised and to avoid unnecessary duplication. Similarly, in tourism-related activities, Visit London is likely to keep its branding.