Bringing the Tourists Back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Before the pandemic, London was the third most visited city on the planet. The tourism sector alone accounted for one in five jobs and generated nearly 12% of the city’s gross domestic product. In May 2021, Mayor Sadiq Khan launched the ‘Let\u2019s Do London’<\/strong> domestic tourism campaign, investing \u00a36 million. The initiative’s goal was to entice tourists back to central London to enjoy the city’s rich culture, vibrant nightlife, exceptional shopping, and warm hospitality. The campaign also aimed to revitalise the economy and protect jobs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ‘Let\u2019s Do London’ campaign was commissioned by the London Tourism Advisory Group and carried out by London & Partners, the Mayor of London, and various tourism stakeholders. It focused on promoting gastronomy, art, street festivals, theatre shows, and key attractions. In 2021, this led to an additional 330,000 visitors and \u00a381 million in spending, providing a vital boost to the industry and supporting local businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, a string of major events\u2014including the Queen\u2019s Platinum Jubilee, the 50th anniversary of the ‘Pride in London’ festival, the Wimbledon Championships, and the ‘ABBA Voyage’ show\u2014ensured London was buzzing with tourists. Global stars like Amy Adams and Beverley Knight took to the stage in the West End, with other theatres also planning special events. The new Elizabeth Line even opened, providing a high-speed route between East and West London. The campaign was expanded to an international audience, which helped to increase revenue and attract even more visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2022, Sadiq Khan continued his efforts to attract more tourists to London, this time on an international scale. He travelled to New York with other world leaders to launch the international phase of the ‘Let\u2019s Do London’ campaign, capitalising on the perfect timing to promote London on the global stage. He returned to New York in 2024 to continue promoting the city as a leader in tourism, business, and sport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2025, Sadiq Khan became the first Mayor of London to lead a trade mission to Africa. He met with global leaders with the aim of strengthening trade, technology, and expanding London’s tourism sector. The Mayor is actively seeking opportunities to tap into Africa’s fast-growing markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tourism is a cornerstone of London’s economy, as the diverse and successful capital is incredibly welcoming to visitors. The sector supports one in seven jobs across the city and accounts for 53% of all international visits to the UK (as of 2019). Visitors to London spend over \u00a3640 million in local caf\u00e9s, hotels, and other tourist spots. The Mayor is doing everything possible to support London’s businesses and venues, recognising it as a crucial industry that provides employment for people of all skill levels throughout the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s also worth noting the active promotion of significant events, exhibitions, and sporting and tourist attractions that encourage visitors to come to London. The city is a hub of cultural life, with its world-famous theatres, venues, galleries, historic buildings, and landmarks that many people yearn to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Retail is also an integral part of London. Small shops in the city’s central activity zone attract thousands of tourists. While retail has gradually recovered since the pandemic, it was a tough journey. The hospitality sector also plays a significant role, providing jobs for 593,000 Londoners. The Mayor’s office has supported the sector’s recovery through programmes like ‘Let’s Do London’ and ‘Grow London Local’, and by collaborating with trade organisations such as UK Hospitality and the London Business Forum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sadiq Khan also supports the cultural sector, which accounts for one in six jobs in the metropolis. Investments are directed towards the Creative Enterprise Zone to help artists and creative businesses stay in the city, providing business and workspaces, and exploring new avenues for creative employment. In 2025, Khan announced \u00a3300,000 in funding for the ‘Summer Streets Fund’<\/strong> to develop the street food scene and extend business hours, stimulating summer tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, Sadiq Khan’s strategy has been highly successful, positioning London as a leader in global tourism. By investing in advertising, infrastructure, and cultural events, he is paving the way for both economic growth and a cultural renaissance in the city.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" London is a metropolis that attracts countless tourists. While the city is renowned for its hospitality, the tourism sector took a severe hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. To protect restaurants, bars, and hotels, and ensure they could continue to thrive and play a major role in the city’s and the country’s economic development, something had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":513,"featured_media":4464,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[2604,2614,2611,2606,2613,2615,2612,2601,2608,2602],"moimportance":[101,104],"motype":[491],"moformat":[89],"class_list":{"0":"post-4473","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-the-mayor","8":"tag-campaign-for-tourists","9":"tag-elizabeth-line-transport-en","10":"tag-infrastructure-development","11":"tag-international-tourism-london","12":"tag-jobs-in-tourism","13":"tag-lets-do-london-en","14":"tag-london-as-a-tourist-centre","15":"tag-london-culture-and-events","16":"tag-sadiq-khan-initiatives","17":"tag-tourism-in-london","18":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","19":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","20":"motype-eternal","21":"moformat-vlasna"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/513"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4473"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4475,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4473\/revisions\/4475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4473"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4473"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4473"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=4473"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=4473"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/london-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=4473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}International Promotion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.london-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/09\/image-16-1024x682.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSupporting the Local Economy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.london-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/09\/image-17.png\")
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