#London is Open for Summer
24 July 2017
A stellar line-up of stars from the worlds of sport, music and entertainment today joined the Mayor of London’s campaign to tell the world that London is open for Summer.
As part of the #LondonisOpen campaign, a short 50 second video has been launched which features Sadiq Khan alongside a host of stars including Jimmy Fallon, Jenson Button and The Kaiser Chiefs. They are captured on camera lending their support to celebrate London as one of the world’s most international and diverse cities and discussing what they love about London during the summertime.
From summer food markets, to outdoor green spaces and some of the city’s most loved landmarks, everyone agreed that London was the best city to visit in the summer.
London has demonstrated great resilience, unity and spirit in recent months following the terrible events at Westminster, London Bridge, Finsbury Park and Grenfell Tower. The Mayor has launched the ‘London is Open for Summer’ campaign to reassure visitors to the city that the capital remains open to all with a diverse range of events and attractions for everyone to enjoy.
Both Britons and international travellers agree that the city is a great place to visit this summer. The latest research from visitlondon.com shows that one third [1] of people in Great Britain are considering taking a tourist day trip or booking an overnight stay in London in the next six months. And the latest tourism booking analysis shows that international arrivals in London are set to be up 14 per cent on last year, from July to October. [2] International visitors are taking advantage of the great value offered by the city, with bookings for arrivals from America up 21 per cent, and Asia Pacific, up 14 per cent, over the same period. [3]
In addition to this London also welcomed a jump in tourism during the first quarter of 2017, with 4.5 million [4] overseas tourists visiting the city, making it the best on record.
To coincide with the project, London & Partners, the Mayor’s official promotion agency, has launched a summer campaign on visitlondon.com/summer, which is designed to encourage visitors to discover all the great things the city has to offer during the Summer months. It features activity suggestions, accommodation ideas and helpful traveller information. It also contains several fantastic ticket offers ranging from top London attractions, to experiences, restaurants and bars.
Promotional offers include the likes of London Transport Museum, Merlin Entertainment, the London Explorer Pass, Jamie’s Italian London Restaurants, Planet Hollywood and Scoff and Banter to name a few.*
London has experienced a record number of tourists over the past month, with thousands attending events such as Wimbledon and BST Hyde Park. Crowds of over 100,000 flocked to the capital to watch the Formula One Live showcase, that featured drivers racing some of London’s most famous streets.
With the summer now well underway, the capital will be hosting several exciting events over the coming six weeks including; the BBC Proms, the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Final, the IAAF World Athletics Championships, RideLondon, Notting Hill Carnival and the Royal Gifts exhibition at Buckingham Palace. Visitors can also experience some of the free exhibitions at The Natural History Museum, The Science Museum and the Design Museum.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “London is the greatest city on earth and there is nowhere better to spend time this summer. Every corner of the city is bursting with life and colour - whether you’re planning a visit to one of our top tourist attractions and world-class museums, enjoying one of the capital’s major sporting or cultural spectacles or simply taking a walk around our beautiful parks and green spaces. For me, the unique buzz of London in the summer shows the city at its very best. I’m saying loud and clear - London is open for business and open to everyone this summer.”
Laura Citron, CEO London & Partners, which runs visitlondon.com, said: “I'm proud that Londoners are coming together to show that #LondonIsOpen for Summer. Visitors are such an important part of what makes London a fantastic place to be, so we're looking forward to welcoming record numbers this summer. Visitlondon.com has an abundance of ideas and offers for everyone to make the most of their summer in London."
Link to video - https://youtu.be/H_AUPNcAVrs
ENDS
Notes to editors
About #LondonIsOpen
#LondonIsOpen will show the world that London remains entrepreneurial, international, and full of creativity and possibility, while reassuring the more than one million foreign nationals who live in London that they will always be welcome, and that any form of discrimination will not be tolerated.
The Mayor is urging all Londoners, organisations and businesses to show their support for the #LondonIsOpen message via social media, through other creative ways. The starting idea for the campaign is built around London opening its doors to welcome people in, and will encourage people to use this as a platform for their own contributions.
The #LondonIsOpen campaign launched with a simple creative: Londoners opening their doors. The ‘Doors film’ has received more than 2.3m views and has inspired hundreds of individuals and organisations to create their own version. (See video below)
The #LondonIsOpen campaign has recruited ambassadors and supporters across a huge range of sectors, including the below:
- Sport: Mo Farah, the England Cricket Team, the Premier League, the FA, Rio Ferdinand, David Haye, Chris Froome, Dame Kelly Holmes, Chris Robshaw, Martin Johnson, Saracens Rugby, Chelsea, the NFL, Wembley Stadium, and Lord’s Cricket Ground
- Business and media: Richard Branson, Rohan Silva, Melinda Stevens, Lorraine Candy, Peter Dubens, Kate Reardon, Alexandra Shulman, the Evening Standard, Time Out, GQ and Vogue
- Music: Niall Horan, Jarvis Cocker, The Vamps, Jessie Ware, Olly Murs, The Kooks, Ella Eyre, Katherine Jenkins and Tinchy Stryder
- Fashion: the British Fashion Council, Central Saint Martins, Conde Nast, Henry Holland, Caroline Rush, Alexandra Shulman, Dylan Jones, Anya Hindmarch, Fearne Cotton, Caroline Flack and Daks
- Film: the BFI, London Film Festival, Jude Law, Eddie Izzard, Louis Theroux, Richard Curtis, Dominic Cooper, Gemma Arterton, Cressida Bonas, Jack Whitehall, Pinewood Studios and Amma Asante
- TV, radio, theatre and dance: Jo Whiley, Chris Moyles, Konnie Huq, Jamal Edwards, Pixie Lott, Sheridan Smith, Beverly Knight, 50 x West End theatres, Pineapple Dance Studios, and English National Ballet
- Art: London Design Festival, David Shrigley, Gillian Wearing, Jeremy Deller, Mark Titchner and Hew Locke
- Travel: AirBnB
About London & Partners and visitlondon.com
Visitlondon.com is the official visitor guide to London and is run by London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency. London & Partners’ purpose is to support the Mayor’s priorities by promoting London internationally, as the best city in the world in which to invest, work, study and visit.
Visitlondon.com is a comprehensive resource for everything that is happening in London. At any one time, this includes 20,000 event listings, plus content designed to inspire and assist visitors. Each month visitlondon.com attracts more than 3.5m visits and its social media channels have 1.75m followers.
*Participating venues, attractions and experiences involved with the campaign.
More information can be found on the Visit London website here.
What’s On
Over 40% off top London attractions with the London Explorer Pass (www.londonexplorerpass.com/summer)
28th July to 31st August 2017
20% off all London Stadium Tours
22nd August 2017 to 31st March 2018
20% off Thamesjet Tickets throughout the World Athletic Championships
14th July to 13th August 2017
20 % off 24-hour Hop-on-Hop-off River Pass
14th July to 13th August 2017
Save 10% on cookery classes
13th June to 31st August 2017
20% off tickets to London Fashion Week Festival (Ecx LUXE)
21st September to 24th September 2017
Food and Drink
Tea and a complimentary bottle of prosecco for two at Scoff and Banter
4th April to 31st July 2017
25% off afternoon tea at Burger and Burgundy Podium
4th July to 31st July 2017
Bottomless Fridays at Boisdale of Canary Wharf
13th June to 31st August
Soul Friday with Free Flowing Fizz at Boisdale of Canary Wharf
23rd May to 31st August 2017
Weekend Brunch at Savini Criterion with bottomless prosecco
4th July to 27th August 2017
Save 15% on Sunday Brunch at Boisdale of Canary Wharf
13th June to 31st August 2017
Save 20% on your food bill when you dine at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company
13th July to 13th August 2017
20% off on food/soft drinks and merchandise at Planet Hollywood London
4th April to 31st December 2017
Kids eat free at Jamie's Italian London restaurants
Hotels and experiences
Save 10% at St. James’ Hotel and Club
14th July 2017 to 10th September 2017
Save 20% at InterContinental London, The O2
20th June to 10th September 2017
15% off on all day tours by car and driver guide with British Tours
12th June to 20th December 2017
Contact
London & Partners Communications Team
Email:press@londonandpartners.comLondon & Partners Media & PR Team
Tel:+44 (0)20 7234 5710
Tel:+44 (0)20 7234 5800
Email:press@londonandpartners.com