London, the 'city of fog', falls behind Paris as tourism draw

 
London was shrouded in fog recently ... but you could leave all that behind, argues the Adelaide tourism board

London suffers an image problem with potential tourists branding it “the city of fog”, a government report claimed today.

The document suggests London is falling behind rivals such as Paris, known by the same group of tourists as “the city of light”.

Tourists also thought London more expensive than other cities, the report found, despite later admitting it was better value once they had visited.

The claims provoked an immediate response from Mayor Boris Johnson, who said: “If Paris is seen as the city of light it must be plugged into the London grid.

“Ours is the real capital of culture, the arts and fashion — a vibrant, diverse and welcoming city steeped in history.”

He added: “It is bursting with world class attractions and entertainment, and filled with more Michelin starred restaurants than our Gallic cousins can muster. Venez à Londres.”

Culture Secretary Maria Miller unveiled the Delivering a Golden Legacy document today, setting out how the Government would build on the 2012 Olympics and tackle barriers to tourism growth.

It says: “Britain generally enjoys a strong and positive image overseas. This does not, however, necessarily translate into a desire to visit.

“Sometimes Britain is admired for its role in business, commerce, history and culture, but not necessarily seen as a vibrant and fun holiday destination.”

It adds: “In the [United Arab Emirates], Paris is referred to in Arabic as ‘the city of light’. It is perceived as the centre of culture, art and fashion, and London as ‘the city of fog’.”

To challenge the misperception, the report highlights how extra funding will be needed to promote London in key markets such as China.

Tourism body VisitBritain spent £1 million in 2012/13 marketing the UK in China, but Tourism Australia invests more than £13 million annually.

VisitBritain chairman Christopher Rodrigues said: “We want to attract 40 million visitors a year to Britain by 2020.

“To do that we will need the right level of support to help us fight harder and smarter in this global race, especially at a time when our competitors are investing in tourism marketing campaigns.”

Today’s report also highlights a lack of airport capacity as a key barrier to future growth, saying: “By 2030 all the major London airports will be full.”

It goes on: “With no new runways, by 2050 the UK would be able to welcome 32 million fewer international terminal passengers per year than it would without capacity constraints.”

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