the Mayor’s Plan for in

September 2002 © Authority September 2002

Published by Greater London Authority City Hall The Queen’s Walk London SE1 2AA www.london.gov.uk enquiries 020 7983 4100 minicom 020 7983 4458

ISBN 1 8526 405 6

This publication is printed on Evolution Satin, 250gsm cover, 130gsm text.

Photography © Mimi Winter Design The Team Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Greater London Authority 1

Contents

page

1 Foreword by the Mayor of London 2

2Introduction 5

3London’s Visitor Economy 7

4 The Mayor’s Role 13

5Challenges for Tourism in London 17

6Principles of the Mayor’s Plan 25

7Headlines for Action Plan 29

8Organisational Structure 35

9A New Start – driving the process forward 41

10 References 43

11 Glossary 45

12 Abbreviations 50 2 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

1Foreword by the Mayor of London

Tourism is vital to London’s prosperity. Ours is a world city with unrivalled appeal. But with growing competition from other destinations around the world, London can no longer afford to take its status for granted or rest on its laurels.

Although London attracts a large number of overseas and domestic leisure tourists, and ranks highly as a destination for business travellers, we could do much better. For too long the tourist industry has lacked sufficient government support and a sense of strategic direction.

London’s tourism has long needed a blueprint for long-term growth. This has never been more urgent than now. The event of 11 September shook international tourism profoundly and hit London particularly hard.

There have been several stages in my strategy to re-strengthen this vital industry. My first programme was emergency aid to attract people back to the hard-hit West End theatreland by offering discounted tickets to everyone in the country. This led to the sale of 47,000 tickets.

The second step was to set up the London Tourism Action Group which, working with the , offered a ‘Great London Deals’ campaign with hundreds of cut-price offers for the capital.

The next step is to launch a radical marketing campaign for the capital and to revamp the longer-term structures for promoting tourism in London. I have this year put £3 million into this from the London Development Agency, and intend to provide £4 million next year. I want this to be matched by a similar sum from the private sector.

London’s tourism will continue to face challenges. We all hope that a new Gulf War can be avoided but if it does come, London will be faced with the challenge of rapidly rebuilding visitor confidence in the capital. We must hit the board running for this challenge by revamping our tourist delivery now.

Alongside these immediate challenges a growing level of activity needs to be sustained in order to fight growing competition from rival destinations. We need to strengthen our position as one of the top tourist destinations of the world. This is why I have decided to radically step up the support given by the public sector to tourist sector support in London. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 3

With my agreement, the London Development Agency has appointed advisers KPMG to look at all the implications of a new delivery structure for tourism in London. I expect their work to be completed in time for this structure to start delivering against my plan by April 2003.

Visit London – my three-year strategic plan for tourism in London – will:

•Provide new direction for London’s tourism industry, marked by a strong private sector ethos – I nominated an expert in marketing, Tamara Ingram, Chairperson and Chief Executive of one the world’s largest advertising agencies, McCann Erickson, as new Chair of the London

Tourist Board and Convention Bureau. She was subsequently appointed © Liane Harris by the LTB Board.

•Move tourism up the political agenda and secure increased funding through public-private partnership.

•Co-ordinate and engage the many stakeholders more effectively. •Work at improving the London ‘product’ by taking a clear strategic approach to the capital’s infrastructure needs.

•Create a step-change in marketing with smarter targeting. •Ensure improved data intelligence is gathered to monitor trends and make London even better for the future.

Let’s all work together towards creating the best possible welcome for London’s visitors.

Ken Livingstone Mayor of London

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 5

2Introduction

This paper sets out a framework for a programme of action by the Mayor and partners to develop London’s Tourism over the three years from 2003/4 – 2005/6. It has been informed by a Strategic Review of Tourism in London1 commissioned by the London Development Agency (LDA), and by extensive consultation with industry, boroughs and other stakeholders and the input of the Greater London Authority (GLA) Group. It builds on the work of the London Tourism Action Group (LTAG) in developing a rapid response to the impact on the tourism industry of the events of 2001. This 3-year plan for tourism in London is the result of a year’s work by the LDA, GLA and Mayor’s advisors.2

This document presents high-level objectives for London’s tourism sector and outlines the framework for delivering tourism support over the 3-year plan period and beyond. A more detailed Action Plan will be drafted and consulted upon within the current financial year, in which a range of actions will be defined for different partners. These will link to the Mayor’s forthcoming Cultural Strategy.

Visit London is aligned to the Mayor’s statutory strategies, in particular the Draft (DLP), Economic Development Strategy (EDS) published by the LDA and Transport Strategy, and has been prepared with regard to the Mayor’s cross-cutting themes of equality, health and sustainability.

These connections will be reflected in the development of the detailed Action Plan. Tourism is a vital component of London’s economy. The Mayor has a duty to promote tourism3 and to assist him in carrying out this duty he receives a grant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The Mayor has delegated power to the LDA to undertake the GLA’s obligations to the DCMS.

Visit London has been developed alongside the current programme of activities for 2002/3 agreed between the Mayor and DCMS to ensure acontinuation in delivery of services. This is being delivered on behalf of the Mayor, by the LDA and through London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau (LTB). In 2002/3 the programme of activities focuses on promoting Greater London as a tourist destination and as a Gateway to the UK. To a lesser extent it addresses encouraging domestic UK visits to London and developing the tourism product. The Mayor through the LDA has allocated an additional £1.25 million to tourism in 2002/3.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 7

3London’s visitor economy

Economic significance The EDS for London recognises the tourism and hospitality sector as one of the most significant driving the London economy (see table below). It is also one of three sectors that the LDA has prioritised for sector development4. The sector encompasses a diverse range of sub-sectors, including accommodation, catering, conference and exhibition venues, travel and tourism services, retailing, visitor attractions, restaurants and leisure facilities.

Domestic and Overseas Tourism to London, latest 2001 figures (millions)

Source: UKTS 2001, IPS 2001*Note: IPS figures are provisional. London, Excluding Visiting Friends and Relatives, 1990–1999

LTB’s Tourism Strategy for London5 has calculated that the number of jobs created by tourism is around 275,000 full-time job equivalents. This accounts for some 8 per cent of all London’s employment. This calculation includes day visitor spend which is estimated to add 10 per cent to the total (25,000 jobs). This total figure is open to question, as the base year for the calculations used for the ratio between tourist spend and job creation was 1985. Since 1985, an annual percentage amplifier has been applied. But it is known that the structure of employment in the industry has changed considerably since 1985 (Information and Communication Technologies; part-time employment; capital investment etc). This demonstrates the fragility of the key economic statistics on London’s tourism. The development of a structured research programme as outlined in section 6 of Visit London and possible development of a Tourism Satellite Account (TSA) will help to provide firm data6.

Tourism is set to grow. The DLP7 forecasts that growth in employment in hotels and catering will be second only to financial and business services. This forecast was supported by a report on hotel capacity and demand8 which identified a 3.4 per cent annual increase in overseas visits to London between 2000 and 2020. 8 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

UK forecast

Source: BTA and World Tourism Organisation, Tourism Vision 2020 (2000)

London’s tourism sector encompasses a range of businesses, from large multinational companies to a significant number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). As the effect of 11 September proved, the success of the tourism sector has a huge impact on the rest of London’s economy as there are strong inter-relationships with the creative, cultural, retail and ICT sectors. It is these sectors that provide the products and services that underpin London’s offer as a place in which to live and work, and as a leading world tourism destination.

Gateway to the UK London has long been established as the international gateway to the UK, with 59 per cent of overseas visitors arriving via one of London’s airports9. Over half (56 per cent) of all overseas visitors to the UK spend time in London and 45 per cent of overseas visitors visit London only. Many tourists travelling by rail, car and coach to Britain also choose the capital as their initial destination.

The success of London in the global tourism marketplace therefore, has a major impact on the performance of the UK tourism economy. The Mayor has restated his commitment to ensuring that London continues to contribute to the wider interests of the British tourism industry. Through working with the British Tourist Authority (BTA) and key regional partners, Visit London will seek to sustain London’s international profile and status as a World City and gateway to the UK.

World class tourism product The range and scale of London’s tourism is unmatched in other world cities. London’s wealth of world-renowned and iconic heritage and cultural attractions, from the Houses of Parliament to the , from ‘Historic Greenwich’ to the national museums and galleries, from the Neasden Temple to Kew Gardens and London Zoo – acts as a major magnet for overseas, domestic, leisure and business visitors. London’s visitor attractions dominate the UK market. ‘Visit London’ a Mayoral Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 9

Major sporting events such as tennis at Wimbledon, cricket at Lord’s and the Oval, and rugby at Twickenham add to London’s tourist draw. Entertainment, art and music scenes in London are renowned for edge and creativity – 500,000 young people are estimated to go ‘clubbing’ in London on a Saturday night10. London’s retailing has world-class distinctiveness and reputation. Recent developments such as the Excel exhibition centre in Docklands add to the international appeal of London as a business tourism destination. London is clearly very successful as a conference and exhibition destination. However, increasing global competition demand provision of business-friendly facilities, such as accommodation with Internet access. London has many of the world’s great hotels, and some excellent local bed and breakfasts.

London’s diversity The wide variety of events in London both encourages and depends on the tourism industry, and provides a means of expressing and interacting with London’s culturally and ethnically diverse communities. These communities are also an important source of distinctive, culturally specific events, cuisines and traditions that are central to London’s cosmopolitan vitality. Many minority ethnic businesses operating in the sector have strong overseas links and provide valuable access to foreign markets. London’s unique selling point in assimilating a range of minority communities provides a model for a successful, cosmopolitan, metropolitan society for other cities to emulate. Arts and creative industries fuel London’s high-value evening and night-time economies.

Benefits for Londoners Tourist attractions promote and sustain London’s international profile. Tourism and hospitality play an essential role in support of London’s status as a World City, global financial centre and commercial hub.

Tourism provides exceptional quality of life benefits for London’s resident communities through both leisure and employment opportunities. What is good for a tourist is often good for a Londoner. An outstanding range of facilities and events is sustained by the purse of a tourist. For many businesses in London profitability depends on the tourist and Londoner alike. 10 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

The tourism sector accounts for 12 per cent of London’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supports 13 per cent of London’s workforce. Needless to say, growth in the visitor economy benefits London economically and crucially distributes that benefit across London’s sub-regions, communities and businesses through direct, indirect and induced spend.

Managing the impacts of tourism Careful management is required to do the following:

•Improving Londoners’ understanding of the benefits of tourism. •Building assessments of the impact on transport and other supporting infrastructure into planning and development plans for new tourism facilities •Developing effective area and visitor management to reduce visitor pressure in central locations and improve ways of getting around the city •Increasing the supply of visitor accommodation across London, ensuring better distribution, to ease congestion and improve value for money •Co-ordinating planning, licensing and management policies and quality assurance programmes to enable the development and distribution of new tourist facilities across London adjacent to new hotel development •Working with relevant stakeholders to minimise the negative impacts of aviation and London’s airports through increases in efficiency in air transport and noise performance. •Making it easier for people to use public transport, especially between London’s airports and central London, and to spread visitors’ use of public transport, providing incentives to maximise off-peak usage.

Partnership with London boroughs The London boroughs’ ongoing support for the tourism industry will be pivotal in enabling the plan to be developed across London. The DLP identifies several important areas where the Mayor intends to work with boroughs and others to improve capacity, quality and the distribution of visitor accommodation and facilities. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 11

Many Londonwide tourism initiatives from the collection and provision of core data to integrating visitor information services will depend on the strength of partnerships created in order to drive forward Visit London.

London’s waterways Enhancements to the River Thames and London’s other waterways have delivered positive improvements for both business and leisure tourism. The Blue Ribbon Network in London has shown the potential of water borne transport, leisure and tourism initiatives to support sustainable economic growth.

Visit London will aim to bring forward projects to develop this work adding to the vitality and distinctiveness of London for visitors and Londoners.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 13

4 The Mayor’s role

The Mayor has recognised the importance of tourism to the success of London. His statutory responsibility to promote tourism under section 378 of the 1999 Greater London Authority Act enables him to take a proactive role. This role involves promoting tourism, encouraging the provision and improvement of tourist facilities, and helping to promote the economic and social development of London, as set out in the Mayor’s Vision for London.

The Mayor’s Vision for London

To develop London as an exemplary sustainable world city, based on interwoven themes: strong, diverse long term economic growth; social inclusively to give all Londoners the opportunity to share in London’s future success; fundamental improvements in London’s environment and use of resources.

The Mayor’s strategies have five common themes working towards the implementation of the vision.

A prosperous city: Making London a more prosperous city with strong and diverse economic growth

A city for people: Making London a better city for people to live in.

An accessible city: Improving London’s transport; Making the most sustainable and efficient use of the space in London; encouraging intensification and growth in areas of need and opportunity.

A fair city: Promoting social inclusion and tackling deprivation and discrimination

A green city: Making London a more attractive, well designed and green city

In the Draft London Plan these have each been developed into a specific objective. 14 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

Under his sustainable development principles as updated by the sustainability appraisal of the DLP11, the Mayor is committed to developing London’s tourism industry in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally beneficial. Tourism can pose challenges for resources, the environment and social equity. However, in many cases these can be turned into opportunities as demonstrated in the strategies of both the BTA and the English Tourism Council (ETC). It is critically important for London’s future that sustainable development is supported in all economic sectors. If sustainability principles are not followed, not only will London become a less liveable city for Londoners, it will become a less attractive city for visitors.

The Mayor’s strategies Visit London sets out a framework of principles and priorities, to ensure that tourism makes an effective contribution to the Mayor’s strategies. The statutory and non-statutory strategies can contribute to realising accessible, inclusive and sustainable growth of the visitor economy. Tourism support also has a wider role to play through its relationship with particular strategies, such as the Economic Development, Cultural, Transport and Spatial Development Strategies for London.

The Mayor intends, where possible, to promote the most beneficial tourism dimension within these strategies. The successful delivery of the aims outlined in Visit London depends on a range of actions falling under other strategies, and equally the sustainable growth and management of the visitor economy is critically important in other strategic areas.

The GLA group The Mayor’s responsibility for policing, transport and development agencies in London affords significant opportunities for extending awareness of the needs of visitors and improving visitor management. The Metropolitan Police, play an essential role in helping to provide a positive visitor experience. Transport for London (TfL) clearly has an equally important role as a provider of services for visitors alongside residents.

The LDA has a wide-ranging role in supporting the evolution of London’s tourism product through the development of destinations across the capital. The Mayor’s planning powers are equally powerful in relation to the long-term aims of enhancing London’s diverse product offer and dispersing economic benefit. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 15

In particular, the Mayor’s commitment to supporting world-class architecture and high-quality urban design will enhance London’s necessary evolution as a visitor destination and brand. London cannot stand still, relying on an historic offer to tourists (despite the importance of the capital’s heritage). Again, the commitment to pursue the Mayor’s cross-cutting themes of sustainability, equality and health in relation to tourism product development is enabled by the structure of the GLA group.

Tourism delivery and regional development agencies Changes are being made to the future delivery mechanism for tourism in and a new role for Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) is being developed. The Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) White Paper announcements in July 2002 recognised the role of RDAs and sought to increase RDA involvement in tourism planning for regions by putting RDA spending on tourism at the discretion of individual RDAs.

The DCMS12 has announced “a radical change to the ETC and the creation of a public-private coalition that will market England to the UK market and develop e-tourism”. Final proposals on domestic marketing are yet to be made public. However, this move and the CSR announcement underline the role of RDAs in promoting tourism in their regions.

London is ‘ahead of the game’. The Mayor has a statutory duty to promote tourism in London and advise Ministers on this and has already pioneered an increased role in tourism development and planning for the LDA. The Mayor has identified the significance of tourism on the London economy both through domestic and international tourism, a fact reinforced by the events of 2001, including 11 September.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 17

5 Challenges for tourism in London

Visit London has been developed in the context of new challenges resulting from global, economic, technological, demographic and social change:

•Globalisation processes are leading to intensified competition and market concentration at all stages of the tourism industry – travel agents, travel organisers, transport, hotels and catering industries. •Shifts in global tourism with increased international travel and the emergence of new target groups with diverse lifestyles and consumption behaviour are leading to demands for increased travel choices, differentiation and niche product development. •Web access and e-commerce are transforming the way tourism operators do business and stimulating demand by the independent traveller. •A rise in international air traffic and deregulation of air transport are leading to emergence of globally operating airlines at one end of the supply spectrum and low cost airlines at the other. Low cost flights are growing the market and resulting in an overall trend of increasing traffic to all London’s airports. •New transport routes, such as the Channel Tunnel, have also had a major impact, particularly on the short-break market. •Tourism is both a contributor to, and in some locations, at risk from, environmental problems, fuelling concern about the need for sustainable tourism.

Consequently London remains a very strong UK tourism proposition with considerable latent potential. However, all these changes contribute to the reshaping of London as a destination for both overseas and domestic visitors, which requires new strategic interventions and market responses. The issues outlined below were identified in Towards a Tourism Strategy for London13. As well as being the result of the trends highlighted above, many of these issues have developed, in part, due to a lack of leadership and co-ordination for London and the tourism sector. 18 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

World market share London’s tourism performance in overseas markets exceeds that of many other cities including New and Paris. However, there are challenges that must be addressed. Against continued growth in the world travel market and the opportunities this presents, and the proliferation of international destinations, London is gradually losing world market share. To respond, London’s tourism sector needs re-invigorated, and strategically targeted, branding and marketing support.

London’s World Market Share: London overseas visitors as a proportion of world international travel arrivals

Source: PricewaterhouseCoopers, Demand and Capacity for Hotel and Conference Centres in London, 200114

Overseas tourism In 2000, London attracted 13 million overseas visitors, staying for 82 million nights and spending nearly £7 billion (almost twice the value of domestic tourism)15. In 2001 due to the combined effects of the economic downturn, Foot and Mouth Disease and 11 September these figures fell substantially. London’s visitor economy is largely reliant on high value overseas markets, and on leisure tourism. Maximum opportunity lies in more effectively tapping the ever-growing overseas markets through Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 19

targeted niche marketing. However, visitors from overseas can be dramatically affected by world crises, trends and fashions. Therefore London needs to manage its long-term risk by ensuring its overseas tourism is not overly dependent on any one market and by renewed focus on business tourism and domestic tourism.

Ensuring value for money Delivering value for money has a major influence on the overall visitor experience. Consumers have a highly developed sense of what represents good value, based upon a range of indicators including cost, quality and perhaps most importantly perception and expectation. Delivering value for money is thus crucial. London can be perceived as expensive. Therefore, an important objective for Visit London will be to ensure London delivers good value, balancing improvements in the quality of its product and service delivery with its image and reputation as a world class destination.

Business tourism Business travel and business visitors contribute significantly to the success of London tourism. In round figures, some 33 per cent of revenue is generated from 25 per cent of visitors worth an estimated £2.75 billion annually15.

London’s World City status and role as a centre of finance and commerce drives this sector of the tourist economy and shows why a holistic approach to marketing London overall is vital. London could attract greater business in the competitive conference and convention sector, which would produce spin off benefits across the UK.

International convention centre London was the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) number one city in the year 2000 based on the number of conventions held and has a comprehensive range of high quality business facilities. In reviewing tourism in London, industry indicated its view that London’s future performance required a new purpose built, 5000-seat capacity, centrally located conference facility.

Any decision that London may take to invest in developing such a flagship international convention centre will need to assess carefully the costs and benefits to the city. The LDA is currently working on an assessment of an international convention centre. 20 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

Domestic tourism Attracting visitors from around the UK to visit the capital is a key aspect of Visit London. In 2001, London attracted 16.9 million domestic visitors, staying for 40 million nights and spending £3 billion15. Average spend of a domestic visitor is only one-third that of an overseas visitor to London. This suggests that there are real opportunities for improving London’s performance in its home markets.

Measures will be taken to encourage domestic market demand and develop new sustainable niche markets for London’s tourism product with a coherent marketing and promotion strategy. The Action Plan will work to overcome London’s traditional dependence on volatile overseas markets.

Distribution of tourism London has an impressive range of tourism attractions and services, the best of which create a world leading product mix. There are many parts of London which are undiscovered. The Mayor has responsibility to promote all parts of this great capital. The feel and atmosphere of many areas, attractions, hotels, places and palaces, restaurants and good transport links combine to create an appealing tourist destination. This needs to be maximised.

Distribution of tourism across London is uneven, preventing many of London’s outer areas from sharing in the benefits that tourism brings. Many areas suffer from problems of access, and barriers remain for many of London’s communities to access and participate in culturally relevant products and services.

An integrated approach is needed to ensure that future development of tourism products and destinations in outer areas is supported by appropriate infrastructure, such as affordable accommodation and good transport links. Equally, steps must be taken to avoid overloading. Future promotional activities should encourage visitors to discover a broader range of destinations.

Securing world-class events London has great potential as a world-class destination for major events but uncertainty over the development of large scale and high economic value projects such as an international convention centre, an Olympic Games site and a National Stadium has undermined its success. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 21

In addition, London hosts a huge number of events, which celebrate and showcase the vitality and diversity of London’s cultures and communities. However, London needs a co-ordinated events tourism strategy, linked to the London Plan, Economic Development, Transport and Cultural Strategies. This is essential if future bids for major events, made by London on behalf of the UK, are to be successful, and if London is to optimise competitive advantage from its cultural, sporting and community events.

Accommodation supply and quality issues Central London accommodation is most sought after, yet often perceived as expensive and it cannot accommodate the desired increase in visitor numbers. Capacity has to be spread more evenly throughout the capital.

Forecasted growth in tourism demand by 2016, requiring up to a further 36,000 rooms, will create further supply constraints16. Consistency in accommodation quality needs to be improved and attention is needed to ensure that the supply/demand relationship does not worsen over the next ten years. Strategic options for tackling this issue are currently being developed by LTB, the LDA and other partners in preparation for action during the plan period.

Integrated visitor information Visitor information is a clear area where market improvement is possible and a strategy is urgently needed, which provides information at all stages of the tourism experience, utilising a variety of methods, both physical and virtual. In comparison with other major world cities, London’s provision is poor, particularly in the absence of a centrally located Tourist Information Centre. Basic provision needs to be improved and the opportunities presented by e-technology maximised. Again, a study is being conducted in the current financial year (2002/3) to lay the groundwork for action early in the period of this three-year plan. 22 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

Sector development The hotel, catering and retail sectors are experiencing problems of high staff turnover and skill shortages, which are hampering growth. The Small Business Service (SBS) has already put in place new training structures to help meet identified skill needs and develop an effective education and training agenda. However, it is important that provision is based on well-researched needs. Current research, commissioned by the LDA, into the skill and labour market needs of the tourism industry will inform the development of a London Workforce Development Plan to tackle skills shortages, gaps and London-specific issues, such as the disproportionate number of transient workers in the sector. Employees serving in the visitor economy should be considered one of London’s key worker groups, as they are contributing to one of its most significant economic sectors.

This is just one strand of a range of interventions that is needed to increase business productivity, competitiveness and build capacity within the sector, particularly of SMEs. As a sector, tourism requires further partnership development, particularly to include staff retention, inward investment and infrastructure development.

Market data and intelligence Lack of understanding of the scale and scope of London’s tourism contribution to the London economy and inadequate statistical information make it difficult for the industry to make a comprehensive case for greater investment. Regional accounts do not capture tourism data, due to the economic characteristics of tourism, a sector defined by its clients more than its products. However, there are major implications in terms of cost, risk and value for money when dealing with a potentially investment hungry sector with such a paucity of information.

The tourism industry also suffers from a lack of timely and reliable market data and intelligence, which will enable them to benchmark their own performance, respond to changing demand patterns and plan efficiently for their operational needs. A number of organisations are currently collecting tourism data independently, which needs coordinating into a managed programme.

The GLA group, through GLA Economics, is working to build and disseminate economic intelligence and analysis across the sectors, which will provide an important resource to enable continuous assessment of changing conditions and provide an important foresight function. This offers the opportunity to address the issues surrounding tourism data. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 23

Public/Private Partnership and Mayoral leadership Now is the opportunity to benefit from a public/private partnership in order to maximise the benefits for the London tourism economy. The Mayor will play a leadership role in bringing together key players in the tourism and hospitality sectors. The shared goal must be to promote London’s tourism industry, build an agreed agenda for tourism development, and jointly work towards a comprehensive strategy to strengthen the sector.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 25

6Principles of the Mayor’s Plan

Growing the visitor economy alone will not achieve the wider objectives set out in the Mayor’s vision. Growth of the visitor economy must therefore also be managed to create, in the long term, a city that is better for Londoners and that people will want to visit – a city that is fair, accessible, safe, supports a high quality of life and respects the need for sustainable development. The key is to drive up the quality of London’s tourism offer in order to maximise investment per visitor, while also extending inclusion and dispersing tourism activity more widely.

The Action Plan which will follow from Visit London will be built around four principles, which flow from ‘The Mayor’s Vision for London’ (see page 13), and which take account of the opportunities for market growth and the challenges identified in the previous section.

Four principles

Growth The Mayor is committed to supporting London’s growth as a world leading tourism destination, and equally to supporting the development of a range of diverse and distinctive tourism products, attractive and priced to appeal to a broad range of visitors, including visitors who have connections with London’s diverse communities.

Dispersal The Mayor wishes to encourage a greater provision of tourism destinations across London, particularly harnessing the benefits of tourism to create attractive and accessible environment and products, coupled with careful management for sustainable growth in dispersed tourism destinations with good transport connections.

Resources The Mayor will, through the GLA Group, support the tourism sector in improving skills, training and learning opportunities and enhancing business competitiveness, especially within SMEs.

Diversity and inclusion The Mayor values the diversity of London’s people and communities in differentiating product and developing new niche markets, providing opportunities for small and medium sized businesses, particularly minority ethnic business development, routes to employment and regeneration within disadvantaged communities. 26 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

Growth in London’s visitor economy can help drive the regeneration process. New visitor attractions and hotels stimulate local economic development by bringing business to restaurants, shops and cultural activities. These opportunities are identified in the DLP17.

London boroughs have an important role in developing these opportunities, which will vary from area to area depending on sub- regional and local factors and needs.

Growth in the visitor economy drives jobs. These may be either in local areas, or in more traditional, central tourist locations. In either case, the importance of transport is paramount in enabling tourists to move around London, and Londoners to get to work.

The Mayor, industry, boroughs and other partners need to express tourism policy in a way that is sustainable. Therefore, opportunities must also be sought to achieve a balance between a spatially-driven framework and maximising London’s multi-cultural strengths, promoting diversity and inclusion, through:

•Promotion to increase visibility of the contribution that London’s diverse communities bring to the city. •New labour market mechanisms to improve access to jobs for London’s diverse communities in the tourism economy eg labour market intermediaries drawn from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. •Equal opportunity procurement arrangements to enable BME and other minority communities to access local opportunities presented by new tourism developments. •Standards for delivering equal opportunities in employment and service provision within the tourism and hospitality sector. •Provision of responsive business support and capacity building of BME businesses to build organisational and management competencies and enable them to access high value tourism markets. •Ensure access to finance and resources to support new product and business development by BME and other minority communities, which can help to develop networks, supply chains and infrastructure to underpin a diverse tourism economy. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 27

•Provide opportunities for disadvantaged communities to acquire skills and achieve progression in the tourism sector through work-based learning opportunities, mentoring, placements and traineeships. •Committing to identifying and removing barriers to the accessibility of visitor attractions in consultation with disabled people to ensure wherever possible full equality of access for all disabled visitors. •Reviewing information to ensure that it is accessible and relevant to disabled people and meets best practice guidelines, particularly in relation to the needs of hearing and visually impaired visitors and visitors with learning impairments.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 29

7 Headlines for Action Plan

Visit London is not only concerned with generating and managing growth in the visitor economy, it is also intended to promote the dispersal of benefit among London’s sub-regions, businesses and communities. The Mayor will take a lead in taking forward this agenda for London’s future tourism development to achieve the objectives set out in his vision within the context of national and regional policy.

On the basis of the issues identified in section 4, a detailed Action Plan will be developed which will be focused around four core priorities:

1Leadership and promotion

2Market development

3Evidence and intelligence

4Product development

The following sections set out the headlines within each area.

Leadership and promotion Objectives •Build public/private sector partnerships to maximise investment, including the reorganisation of London’s tourism support structure to ensure effective arrangements to deliver properly funded tourism promotion. •Develop and harmonise brand messages to achieve sustained targeted growth, including exploration of opportunities for specialist sub-branding around industry sub-sectors and culturally diverse products and for smaller enterprises. •To lead the promotion of London as a world class destination through a strong and distinctive branding which has broad appeal to existing and potential audiences, functions effectively across a range of media and is flexible enough to explore specialist sub-branding and support partner brands.

Actions •Ensure that London has a consistent and effective approach to destination brand management, to include clear guidance on where and how it is able to be used. (Year 0-1) 30 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

•Through the GLA group’s exercise of branding London18, bring together key partners, including BTA and ETC to establish an approach to the brand that will encourage wide participation in its application, by organisations and businesses throughout the capital. The approach will demonstrate added value to existing marketing and identify appropriate ways in which the brand can be adopted for partner promotions. (Year 1-3) •Appropriate organisational and funding structures will be identified and put in place to develop and support London’s tourism sector. Critically, they will extend public and private sector engagement and resources. (Year 0-1) •Ensure that new organisational structure has a strong focus on promotion and additional capacity to undertake major campaigns. (Year 1-3)

Market development Objectives Maintain strong overseas market performance by ensuring London is not overly dependent on any one overseas market and by renewed focus on business tourism and domestic tourism.

•Explore and develop markets that will promote diverse and dispersed tourism business and expand the portfolio of London’s offer. •Increase the appeal of London as a tourist destination while managing the costs of tourism and spreading the benefits to all London’s communities. •Promote and support London’s ‘gateway’ role in partnership with BTA, ETC, Visit , Tourist Board, Regional Tourist Boards and the private sector to spread the benefits of London’s dynamic product offer across the UK.

Actions •A clear basis of partnership will be pursued with BTA and other relevant partners to plan and implement the research programme and an overseas market development plan. (Year 1) Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 31

•A realistic and sustainable 5-year domestic market development plan will be commissioned and implemented with partners. (Year 1-3) •A market development plan to support diverse and distributed tourism activity will be devised. (Year 1) •A framework for partnership with National and Regional Tourist Boards (RTB) and key private sector partners will be developed which ensures co-ordination of effort and highlights London’s ‘gateway’ role. (Year 1)

Evidence and intelligence Objectives •Improve the measurement of the contribution of the tourism sector to the London economy and monitor/forecast the impact of changes in tourism numbers and effectiveness of programmes. •Build better business intelligence for increased competitiveness and an evidence base to support arguments for winning new investment and resources. •Ensure useful and robust qualitative market research in order to identify areas for product development.

Actions •A robust and reliable method of providing statistical data for the industry and producing regular and authoritative London tourism impact statistics and foresights will be developed with GLA Economics as appropriate. (Year 0-1) •Carry out comprehensive audit of existing data sources identifying strengths and limitations. (Year 0-1) •Key partners will be identified to plan and coordinate a research programme to gather other on-going economic data and industry intelligence, analysis of employment trends, skill and learning needs in the tourism and hospitality sectors, including trend and time series data. (Year 1) •In the short term, particular attention will be given to the price competitiveness of London’s offers and to the evaluation of promotional campaign expenditure. (Year 1-3+) 32 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

•Establish with industry providers (especially SMEs) the market intelligence that will make the most positive impact on their businesses and work to provide this service to members of London’s tourism organisation. (Year 2)

Product development Objectives •Increase the number of international conventions held in London by developing London’s capacity to compete for such business and to host major events. •Improve the quality of London’s accommodation offer through registration/grading programmes and/or by supporting market forces in meeting London’s demand for increased bed stock. •Raise the standard of the public realm and improve the appearance and attractiveness of London’s streets and open spaces for the benefit of visitors and Londoners alike. •Improve the quality of the visitor experience in relation to visitor information and management including access to e-tourism and increase the quality and quantity of visitor facilities and attractions. •Encourage integrated visitor destinations in hitherto less popular areas for tourists, eg East London, South London.

Actions •An assessment of the value and feasibility of a centrally located purpose built international convention centre project to support the business tourism market will be undertaken. (Year 1-2) •Implement the recommendations of the study (being conducted in 2002/3) to improve the quality assurance of London’s visitor accommodation. (Year 2) •A planning study for hotel development across London but with a focus on mid to outer areas will be commissioned by the LDA, using inward investment tools to help new dispersed destinations and clusters of tourism businesses and facilities. (Year 1) Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 33

•Priorities for mid and outer London tourism destinations will be identified in line with the DLP and development plans commissioned by the LDA. (Year 1-3) •A long-term London branded events strategy will be developed, linked with the Culture Strategy19, which includes world-class events, distributes products and events across the city, and indicates the required infrastructure. (Year 1-2) •An integrated visitor information and management strategy to improve the London tourism experience will be developed following the research currently being conducted in collaboration with TfL, other key industry players and sub-regional partnerships. It will make effective use of ICT. (Year 1-2) •A Londonwide quality assurance initiative, providing annual benchmarks for the visitor experiences of London, will be examined. (Year 1-2) •Development of a framework for sustainable tourism addressing the points raised in Visit London including the need to encourage tourist facilities to improve their energy efficiency and minimise levels of waste generated. (Year 1-2) •Work with the Association of London Government, boroughs and other partners to identify ways to improve the public realm, encourage dispersal of accommodation and tourism product and Tourism Action Zones20. (Year 2-3)

London’s new organisational structure will facilitate the delivery of the highlighted actions at headline and detailed levels, and ensure co-ordination between the various bodies involved. A detailed Action Plan covering the priority areas will be developed in partnership with the appropriate organisations within the GLA group, the national tourism support network, other public sector bodies and the private sector. The role of the LDA in many of these areas is significant, and this action plan should be considered a commitment on the part of the GLA group to deliver, over the three-year plan period, a step-change in London’s tourism offer (although of course many points relating to product development, for example, require a longer time frame to come to fruition).

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 35

8Organisational structure

‘Towards a Tourism Strategy for London’ identified a consensus across the industry for organisational change to achieve a coherent framework for future tourism delivery. There is also recognition that any process of structural and organisational change will need to have regard to maintaining continuity in tourism management if the confidence of, and partnerships with, the private sector are to be maintained. The organisational structure will need to:

•encourage full involvement of private and public sector partners •ensure delivery is linked to industry needs and Mayoral priorities •mobilise coalition funding to support future promotions and development •enable a rapid response to changing market conditions and the strategic context •support complex funding and project partnerships. In implementing Visit London, it will be critical to ensure that maximum advantage is gained from the Mayor’s interventions and that work is taken forward on behalf of the Mayor by the LDA. This will be in partnership with other relevant tourism agencies. It will also be essential to work closely with London’s boroughs and sub-regional groupings, to provide clear leadership, particularly in relation to visitor management, creating new tourism destinations in London’s sub-regions and a more diverse and distributed tourism sector. Retaining the engagement and financial commitment of the private sector will also be key to addressing implementation issues and organisational change.

A commitment has been made by the Mayor to provide £4m from his Economic Development Agency – the LDA – to promote and support tourism. The private sector will be invited to match fund this amount in order to increase the impact of campaigns to promote London.

Principles underlying the new structure The Mayor will ensure that the LDA will put in place a delivery structure which involves the key representations of tourism and hospitality in London and will take account of all the work that has been done to date.

The current tourism promotion and support structure is inadequate, and remedying that deficiency is a precursor to fulfilling the goals set out in Visit London. This is a key area of concern for the Mayor. 36 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

The Mayor has agreed with key partners principles for a new support structure for London’s tourism industry. This new structure – NewCo21 – is designed to ensure:

•fast and flexible delivery •step-change in marketing performance •public/private partnership approach •broader industry and borough engagement across London •clear distinction between policy/strategy and delivery •consistent approach to branding for London •financial sustainability •advocacy role for interests of the sector. New organisational structure There is a number of models in existence nationally and internationally which have provided an opportunity for comparing London’s specific needs and circumstances. Substantial consideration has been given to identifying the structure that is right for London and an outline structure for NewCo has been agreed. This model will be developed by December 2002 with a view to implementation by April 2003.

The Mayor intends to provide strong leadership for tourism whilst seeking guidance and funding from the private sector. The model structure identified has a single organisation providing a partnership between public and private sectors, responsible for tourism marketing implementing promotional campaigns and creating a representative structure for the tourism industry.

The board of NewCo will be comprised of a broadly equal representation of the tourism industry and the public sector co-ordinated via the Mayor and the GLA group and other tourism agencies. The key relationships are shown in the diagram opposite. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 37

The Mayor, GLA and the LDA will work to ensure that there is a smooth transition from old to new, including continuity of relevant expertise to ensure full participation from both private and public sector partners.

Functions of NewCo: The new company will:

1Lead on developing and delivering new marketing campaigns funded by a combination of public/private contributions.

2 Contribute to development of the strategy for tourism in London.

3Identify industry concerns and interests and represent these to ensure effective policy development. 38 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

4 Engage with the Mayor, GLA group, industry and public sector to ensure strategic co-ordination and progress on key product development and infrastructure issues.

5With the Mayor, ensure that government funding is optimised and that GLA group agencies take account of tourism dimension in discharging other responsibilities.

Marketing – NewCo will have a strong marketing focus and will promote London, both domestically and internationally, for the business and leisure markets. Stakeholders of NewCo will be able to influence activities, which raise both the profile of London and visitor numbers.

Membership – NewCo will build on strong membership from across a wider range of sectors and companies. The aim is to have as broad a participation as possible.

Members will have access to promotional material, invitations to networking events, seminars, and will gain formal access to the Mayor through NewCo’s consultative structure.

Supporting activities It is important that, at least initially, NewCo focuses on marketing London and engaging the industry. The LDA is well placed to take forward many of the other priorities identified in Visit London under Evidence and Intelligence and Product Development, and will work with partners to address issues such as the lack of reliable data, business support and skills development. The LDA and GLA will undertake detailed discussions with a range of other partners during the transition process in order to produce specific proposals in the Action Plan. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 39

Key performance indicators NewCo will be expected to demonstrate measurable and visible success through the following:

•greater visitor expenditure •creation of new tourism areas •improved visitor satisfaction and quality standards •increased investment into tourism •broader commitment and participation from industry •increased success of short and long term marketing campaigns •increased benefit to UK tourism through ‘gateway’ role •delivery of Visit London. Further work is required to identify quantifiable measures and indicators. This will require detailed discussions and commitment from partners across London, the results of which will be reflected in the Action Plan.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 41

9A new start – driving the process forward

Visit London is a visionary framework for tourism development in London Until now, the capital has had no single co-ordinated tourism plan. Above all, strong leadership and greater cooperation are needed to meet the challenges of the future and to maximise the benefits for Londoners.

The Mayor is committed to working with the industry and key partners, ensuring that such leadership is established to enable London’s tourism to build on its world leading position.

Tourism is a diverse industry that thrives upon London’s vibrant cultural mix. It is made up of thousands of businesses throughout London from large multinationals to small and micro enterprises. Tourism and hospitality has been recognised in the EDS for London as one of three key sectors driving the London economy.

This framework is intended to address the broad nature of the impact that tourism has on jobs and prosperity, the environment and communities of London. It also looks at how the success of London as a gateway contributes positively to the UK economy.

Visit London provides the focus for development of the detailed Action Plan Industry partners and stakeholders are invited to feedback comments and suggestions on Visit London and these will inform the development of the Action Plan. The Mayor will simultaneously instigate a programme of dialogue with a range of partners. Success will be dependent on the commitment of all those involved to the process of realising the vision.

Visit London is a tourism plan for London, and not for just one organisation. It has been prepared with the input of a wide range of public and private sector partners.

Tourism has the potential for providing exceptional quality of life for Londoners, embracing cultural diversity and delivering sound environmental gains. Visit London and the subsequent Action Plan will create a step-change in the provision of tourism services, unlocking opportunity and spreading benefits throughout London.

With strong effective leadership provided by the Mayor, new marketing initiatives and the mobilisation of new resources, the capital can assure its continued status as a world city for decades to come.

Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 43

10 References

1 Strategic Review of Tourism in London, a document produced by Locum Destination Consulting in November 2001 for the LDA, the review was the first such review of the tourism industry in London in over 10 years and formed the basis for the development of Towards a Tourism Strategy for London, see footnote 2 below. 2 Towards a Tourism Strategy for London, a consultation document produced by Locum Destination Consultation in January 2002 for the LDA, summarises the conclusions of the Strategic Review project. 3 Greater London Authority Act 1999 section 378. 4 LDA (2001), Economic Development Strategy. 5 London Tourist Board, Tourism Strategy for London 2000-2003. 6 Tourism Satellite Account’s (TSA) provide a model for measuring the economic impact of tourism. There are now more than 10 countries that have a TSA and more than 30 that are in the process of developing a TSA. 7 The draft London Plan, Draft Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London (GLA) June 2002, pg26, figure 1.9c. 8 ‘Demand and Capacity for Hotels and Conference Centres in London’ draft London Plan, Technical Report Thirteen, August 2002-09-11. 9 The Tourism Company (2002), The Case for Tourism: a Scoping Study, for LTAG. 10 URBED (2002), Late-Night London, Planning and Managing the late-Night Economy, for the GLA, unpublished. 11 The draft London Plan, Draft Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London, GLA, June 2002. 12 Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Press Release 13 May 2002. 13 The consultation document and process informed the development of this Plan. Document available via www.lda.gov.uk/downloads.asp 44 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

14 Prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) using data from London Tourism Statistics, IPS, World Bank, World Development Indicators. This graph is taken from PwC’s interim presentation to the Greater London Authority dated 1 October 2001. PwC make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of the information contained and PwC will not accept any responsibility to any party who relies upon it. 15 UKTS 2001; IPS 2001. 16 PricewaterhouseCoopers (2001), Demand and Capacity for Hotel and Conference Centres in London, for the GLA. PwC make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of the information contained and PwC will not accept any responsibility or liability to any party who relies upon it. 17 The draft London Plan, Draft Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London, GLA, June 2002, pg83, map 2B.3. 18 ‘Success through diversity’ London’s Economic Development Strategy, LDA, 1.1.1, pg 24. 19 Forthcoming Mayoral Culture Strategy. 20 The draft London Plan, Draft Spatial Development Strategy for Greater London, GLA, June 2002, Policy 3D.7, pg 211. 21 NewCo is the working title given to the delivery agency for tourism in London. Further discussion will take place with key stakeholders to agree its final name. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 45

11 Glossary

Arts Council of England On 1 April 2002 the Arts Council of England and the 10 Regional Arts Boards joined together to form a single development organisation for the arts. The Arts Council is an independent, non-political body working at arms length from the government.

Association of London Government The ALG is a membership body that speaks up for local government in the capital. It is committed to making life better for Londoners, to providing the best services it can and helping the member authorities to do the same.

British Tourist Authority The British Tourist Authority’s mission is to build the value of inbound tourism to Britain, generating additional tourism revenue throughout Britain, throughout the year.

Operating in 27 overseas markets, it promotes Britain as a tourism destination. BTA works in partnership with the national tourist boards in England, , Scotland and Wales to promote an attractive image of Britain. It provides impartial tourism information and gathers essential market intelligence for the UK tourism industry. BTA is funded by grant-in-aid from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Business Link for London Business Link for London is part of the National Business Link Network run by the government’s Small Business Service. They provide practical impartial and independent advice on every aspect of running a business from cashflow and ICT, to export and design, to staff development and finding new customers.

Business Tourism Servicing the needs of visitors whose purpose in being in London is business.

Comprehensive Spending Review Government’s spending plan for the next three years by department. The Comprehensive Spending Review, together with the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report contain the Government’s assessment of the medium-term economic and budgetary position. They set out the Government’s tax and spending plans, including those for public investment, in the context of its overall approach to social, economic and environmental objectives. 46 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

Culture Strategy The GLA Act provides for a Culture Strategy with policies with respect to culture, media and sport in Greater London. This strategy will be one of the eight strategies required under the GLA Act 1999.

The Culture Strategy may contain policies relating to ‘the arts, tourism and sport; ancient monuments and sites; buildings and other structures which are of historical or architectural interest or which otherwise form part of the heritage of Greater London; museums and galleries; library services; archives; treasure, and antiquities of a movable nature; broadcasting, film production and other media of communication’.

Other areas which usually fall within the definition of culture and are incorporated in the strategy are parks and open spaces, and the creative industries.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has policy responsibility formuseums, galleries and libraries, the built heritage, the arts, sport, education, broadcasting and the media and tourism, as well as the creative industries, the Millennium and the National Lottery.

Domestic Tourism Servicing the needs of visitors whose purpose in being in London is leisure who originate from within the UK.

(Draft) London Plan One of the eight strategies for London that the Mayor is required by law (GLA Act 1999) to produce (see Page 12 for details of other strategies). It will replace existing strategic planning guidance for London (RP23). The Mayor has chosen to call it the London Plan.

E-commerce Consists of companies deriving at least some portion of their revenues from internet related product and services

Economic Development Strategy One of eight Mayoral Strategies setting out plans for the economic development and regeneration of London. It is the Mayor’s ‘London Development Agency Strategy’ as defined by the Greater London Authority Act 1999, section 206, subsection 2. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 47

English Tourism Council The English Tourism Council is the strategic body for tourism in England receiving funding from the DCMS

GLA Economics GLA Economics is a unit designed to provide a firm statistical and factual basis for policy decision making by the GLA and it’s functional bodies

GLA Group Consists of the core GLA and the functional bodies detailed below.

Greater London Authority The organisation responsible for carrying out the functions set out in the Greater London Authority Act, including the Mayor, Assembly and four functional bodies: the London Development Agency, Transport for London, the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. There is a clear separation of powers within the GLA between the Mayor – who has an executive role, making decisions on behalf of the GLA – and the London Assembly, which has a scrutiny role.

Gross Domestic Product A measure of total flow of goods and services produced over a specified time period. It is obtained by valuing outputs of goods and services at market prices.

The Learning Skills Council The Learning Skills Council is responsible for funding and planning education and training for over 16 year olds in England.

Leisure Tourism Servicing the needs of visitors whose purpose in being in London is leisure.

London Development Agency One of nine Regional Development Agencies covering England and a functional body of the Greater London Authority. Its aim is to further economic development and regeneration of London.

London Tourism Action Group Established by the Mayor with the assistance of the LDA and LTB as a direct response to assess the immediate impact of the 11 September disaster in the USA on the London Tourism Economy. 48 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau (LTB) was established in 1963 and is the official tourist organisation for Greater London. Its mission is to project London as the most exciting city destination in the world. LTB is a private company limited by guarantee.

LTB is funded by membership subscriptions and commercial activity. It receives public funding from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport via the Mayor of London and the London Development Agency, and the Association of London Government.

Mayor’s Strategies The Mayor is required by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 to produce eight strategies which together will lay out a blueprint for the future of London. These are Air Quality, Ambient Noise, Biodiversity, Cultural, Economic Development, Spatial Development (the London Plan), Transport and Municipal Waste Management.

In addition to these eight statutory strategies, the Mayor (using his general power to do anything which he considers will further one of his three principal purposes) is developing policy initiatives across a wide range of other areas important to Londoner’s lives. These include homelessness, domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, children and others. There will also be an energy strategy.

Metropolitan Police Authority Exists to secure an effective, efficient and fair police service for London’s communities. It is an independent statutory body, which was established under the Greater London Authority Act and came into effect in July 2000.

Regional Tourist Board Independent private companies whose purpose is to promote tourism in the relevant English region.

Small Business Service A government service to provide advice to small business. Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London Greater London Authority 49

Sustainable Development Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Tourist Information Centre A walk-in street level office providing information, primarily on the local area.

Tourism Satellite Account A model for measuring the economic impact of tourism. There are now more than 10 countries that have a TSA and more than 30 that are in the process of developing a TSA.

Tourism Action Zones (proposed) To manage the impact of tourism through the identification of zones to co-ordinate visitor management plans, initiatives and funding to manage the impact of tourism on popular locations. No specific fund available. (from DLP).

Transport for London A functional body of the GLA, accountable to the Mayor, with responsibility for delivering an integrated and sustainable transport strategy for London.

Transport Strategy The Transport Strategy outlines the most ambitious and comprehensive plan for expansion of transport provision that London has ever seen. It reflects consideration of the views expressed during the comprehensive public consultation, and the realisation will require partnership with Government, London boroughs, transport operators, business and communities throughout the capital.

Unique Selling Point The ‘unique’ consumer benefit of any product or service.

Visit Scotland A government body whose remit is to promote Scotland as a tourist destination.

Visitor Accommodation Overnight accommodation across a range of suppliers from luxury hotels to bed & breakfasts.

Wales Tourist Board A government body whose remit is to promote Wales as a tourist destination. 50 Greater London Authority Visit London: the Mayor’s Plan for Tourism in London

12 Abbreviations

ALG Association of London Government

BLfL Business Link for London

BTA British Tourist Authority

CSR Comprehensive Spending Review

DCMS Department for Culture, Media and Sport

DLP Draft London Plan

EDS Economic Development Strategy

ETC English Tourism Council

GDP Gross Domestic Product

GLA Greater London Authority

ICT Information and Communication Technologies

LDA London Development Agency

LTAG London Tourism Action Group

LTB London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau

RDA Regional Development Agency

SBS Small Business Service

SME Small and Medium Enterprise

TIC Tourist Information Centre

TfL Transport for London

TSA Tourism Satellite Account

VFR Visiting Friends and Relatives