London 'sees £100m benefit from promotional campaign'

London has received a £100 million boost as a result of a major promotional campaign launched last year, new figures show.

The city's tourism agency revealed that the Only in London initiative contributed to an 11 per cent year-on-year increase in visitor numbers during the third quarter of 2009, with more than 2.1 million tourists heading to the English capital.

London's shopping districts also appeared to benefit from the campaign, with the West End reporting an eight per cent rise in sales in December 2009 compared with the previous year.

In the centre of the city, shopping activity during the Christmas period was up 12 per cent year-on-year.

Sally Chatterjee, chief executive of Visit London, said: "The Only in London campaign provided us with a strong platform to promote the unique aspects of London to visitors at home and abroad.

"The feedback from visitors has been incredibly positive and is reflected in the outstanding economic benefit delivered by the campaign."

Visit Britain launched a new initiative this week to promote the UK's leading city break destinations, including Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Posted by Carrie, 25 January 2010 16:48

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