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Visit London, the city’s official visitor organization since 1963, knows that you and your clients are eager to see London in 2012. In addition to sharing developments about the upcoming London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, senior public relations manager Jacqueline French discussed the accessible and diverse offerings of art, culture, history and sport that make London a first-choice destination for right now. Focusing on the capital’s steady pace of improvement and its varied and seemingly infinite range of attractions, Visit London’s current advertising and public relations campaign, “Only in London,” complements the tourism group’s rich trade services by ensuring that you know where London’s persisting value derives.
The exchange rate between the dollar and the pound is always fluctuating and London is generally perceived to be expensive for U.S. travelers. How does Visit London counter this costly perception?
With the change in exchange rates, it’s about 25 percent cheaper to travel to London than it was this time last year. Over the last couple of years, especially in the U.S. market, value has been one of our driving messages, especially when the dollar was so high against the pound. London has not necessarily always been a vacation on a shoestring, but it’s very much about getting value for money. The fact that all of our national museums are free is a huge draw. You can go see the National Gallery, the British Museum, Tate Britain, Tate Modern and a whole host of other museums. The other thing that is great for travelers at the moment is the range of hotel deals and airfares available. If someone is interested in traveling, all they have to do is a little bit of research and there are great deals to be had.
How can travel agents take advantage of Visit London’s resources?
We have dedicated information for travel agents on our Web site, VisitLondon.com/Trade. There are dedicated newsletters that have trade specific information so they can register for that as well. Also, as a resource on our Web site, we prepare general information about forthcoming events, activities and exhibitions to serve travelers and operators. If people are looking for support on just part of their journey and doing some independent travel, there are lots of tips and instructions on our Web site.
Has the London tourism market suffered since the economic recession?
In the last year, we had just fewer than 2 million visitors from the U.S. The spend was just under $1.4 million. While we’ve seen visitors drop slightly, spending has been maintaining. The main effect of the economic situation is that a lot of corporations are tightening their belts, but we’re still seeing a lot of leisure travelers, which is really positive for the city.
What changes has Visit London made in response to the economic situation?
Our latest campaign, Only in London, is in response to the economic slowdown. We realized that it’s important for us to maintain our profile. We can’t be complacent just because London is a well-known city. We have to make sure that London is still the first choice for people. What we did in this campaign was based on research we did earlier in the year to find out what U.S. citizens were particularly interested in when looking for vacation. What stood out about London is the fact that it is a unique destination and quite easy to do like a local. As a visitor, you don’t have to stay on the tourist track. It’s easy to become part of the fabric, and really join in and discover the city.
How does the Only in London campaign help visitors experience London like a local?
The Only in London campaign is highlighting all those one-off experiences and attractions that you can only get in the city. We have a list of 160 recommendations and attractions, itineraries, and places to go that will make your trip to London truly unique and something that you can take back and say ‘I saw Van Gogh’s sunflowers for free and you can only do that in London.’ It’s great to go to places like Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London — they’re still incredibly popular attractions — but you can also investigate SoHo and check out some of the bars there, or go to the markets, talk to the locals, find out how they live, get recommendations for the bars and restaurants that they get.
How will Visit London work with the 2012 Olympic Planning Committee to help tourists visiting London during the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
Our focus is very much, ‘We are host city now; let’s make the most of it.’ We’re very focused on making sure that people don’t think that London is closed until 2012. Blockbuster exhibitions are still coming in. There is a lot of stuff going on in the run up.
Can current visitors to London get a sneak peek of what is planned for the games?
The exciting thing about London in terms of an Olympic host city is the way that we’ll be hosting the games. We have the main Olympic village — the Olympic Park— over in Stratford that will have the Olympic Stadium, the Aquatics Centre, etc., but the games will be held across the city. Beach volleyball is going to be hosted on Horse Guards Parade. You’re looking at a traditional location and beach volleyball, which is of the newer traditions to the Olympic family. Greenwich Park will have the equestrian. The Regent’s Park will have the triathlon. These are places that people can visit and know that in 2012, that’s where the events are happening. For travelers who won’t be going to the games, it’s quite nice to feel apart of 2012 by being apart of the locations themselves.
Does London receive a lot of return visitors?
Absolutely. The size of London and the general length of stay being four to five days offers enough time only to explore a couple of neighborhoods. You can come back and explore somewhere else. London is always changing. Even visitors who were here two to three years ago will be amazed at the improvements being made all the time. As one area makes changes, everywhere else does as well because nobody wants to be left behind.
What improvements has London made in order to better protect the environment?
As the city evolves, it’s certainly taking sustainable issues on board. An example of this is that the lights in the fountains of Trafalgar Square have just switched to LED so they’re saving more energy. The tourism industry is taking environment on quite seriously. There are things that we can encourage visitors to do, whether it is travelling by public transport or walking as much as possible. There is a grading system for green tourism for which hotels and attractions can apply. It is quite strict criteria and they get awarded bronze, silver or gold. You can research the kind of hotels you’re staying in. If people are concerned, there is information available.
What other changes can travelers expect to see in the next couple years?
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East London is becoming more popular
with visitors. // © visitlondonimages |
In terms of additions to museums and galleries, Tate Modern is expecting an expansion, as is the Natural History Museum in September this year. Neighborhoods are also evolving. East London, which historically didn’t draw visitors in, either from London or overseas, is becoming a must-see neighborhood. In terms of transport, there will be additional transport especially focusing around the 2012 games.
Will more accommodations be built to serve the influx of visitors during the games?
There are more hotels being built, but we’ve already got more accommodation than is required by the International Finance Corporation. Because of the nature of London and the amount of events we have — for example, we have four premiership soccer teams and they’re playing fixtures pretty much all year-round — we’re used to having masses of people coming in, using the public transport system and the accommodations. One of the advantages of London having the games is that we’re prepared for dealing with that sort of volume of people.
For agents helping clients with their Olympic travel plans, when is the best time to make arrangements?
I believe tickets go on sale in early 2011. There is one ticket operator for each country so that’s the only place they can get the official tickets if they want to see the sports themselves. Even if people want to come and not necessarily see the sports, London is going to have a festival feeling during the time. If you’re coming over just to see one sport or just to be in the city during the games, there will be a lot going on to experience and get involved in. Also in 2012, we are hosting World Pride. That’s bringing in huge numbers of people to celebrate. The bonus for us, which is especially pertinent in these economic times, is the fact that because we’re the host city, it draws in a lot of other events. It’s incredible. London is a welcoming city and there’s always something improving and new to see.
www.visitlondon.com/trade
