The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today encouraged Londoners to discover their city anew as his tourism campaign sends a love letter to the capital.
Emotive adverts will be running across the Tube network, on posters and billboards, in cinemas, on the radio and all over social media in the coming months to promote some of the most exceptional aspects of life in the capital. There was also a 10-minute takeover of the famous Piccadilly Lights advertising boards yesterday morning encouraging people to ‘make a date with London’.
New film, art and nature trails have been created to help Londoners see their city with fresh eyes. In collaboration with Film London, ‘London film locations to love’ highlights 10 famous movie scenes that can be recreated, including from the multi-award winning features Four Weddings and a Funeral, Paddington, and Rocks. A Summer Art Trail, in partnership with TfL, Somerset House, Heart of London and North Bank BIDs, shows off the best contemporary public art and culture, such as Art on the Underground, Zarah Hussain’s Pop Geometry at St James’s Market and ‘This Bright Land’ at Somerset House. Not only that but four brand new nature trails will now provide scenic walking routes to connect natural spaces in some of the city’s most built up areas.
The promotions are part of Love London – the latest chapter of the Mayor’s Let’s Do London campaign which has been encouraging people from London, the rest of the UK and around the world to visit Britain’s capital following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on its retail, cultural, hospitality and leisure industries.
Last year, the biggest domestic tourism campaign the capital had ever seen generated an additional £81m in expenditure and 330,000 more overnight visitors to the city giving the capital’s economy a much-needed boost.
Earlier this year, the Mayor extended this campaign with a £7m investment to encourage international tourists back to London.
This summer, after a poll by City Hall showed that 40 per cent of Londoners don’t know of ways to enjoy London for free, the Mayor has been highlighting the wide range of free and cut-price events and activities available. He has also partnered with Art Fund to offer discounted access to museums and galleries while Transport for London has teamed up with Official London Theatre’s annual Kids Week initiative to release thousands more ‘kids go free’ tickets for a range of top West End shows.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“There is so much to love about London with our incredible cultural attractions, world-class shops, bars and restaurants, and, most importantly of all, the fantastic people who live here.
“That’s why London is the greatest city in the world and I’m proud my Let’s Do London campaign is encouraging everyone to enjoy the many varied and unique experiences our city has to offer.
“I’m delighted that my tourism campaign has already generated tens of millions of pounds for our economy and attracted hundreds of thousands to our city and I want to encourage even more people to make the most of our capital as we build a better London for everyone.”
