London Mayor Boris Johnson funds multiple tourism campaigns

LONDON - It's a bit like London buses: businesses suffer as a result of tightened purse strings for months on end, and then the Mayor Boris Johnson announces several marketing innovations at once.

London Mayor Boris Johnson funds multiple tourism campaigns

First Johnson revealed a week-long series of events to celebrate St George's Day, which falls on 23 April. And on 23 March, the mayor took a ride on the London Eye to launch a new £2m international marketing campaign to promote the experiences unique to London.

The mayor is perhaps keen to portray himself as the saviour of London's tourism business, following a recent stinging public attack by a coalition of London retailers.

The lobby group London First, which includes John Lewis, Harrods and Westfield presented an open letter to the mayor earlier this month calling for a campaign to attract foreign visitors through the favourable exchange rate.

Tourism body Visit London was also said to be unhappy with the £3m cut from its annual budget, including £1.5m shortfalls from the London Development Agency (LDA) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

With media pressure building, the mayor found some additional funds stashed away in his Economic Recovery Action Plan. The launch of the campaign, which uses the strapline ‘Only in London', also happens to coincide with the start of British Tourism Week.

The ads list 100 contemporary and historical experiences only to be found in the capital (see below). The aim is to attract US and European visitors who can benefit from a favourable exchange rate, as well as getting UK consumers back shopping in London.

1. See where the Gunpowder Plot was first contrived at Eastbury Manor House in Barking

10. Recreate the famous Beatles album cover on Abbey Road

20. Watch a performance at the famous Brit School in Croydon - whose alumni include Amy Winehouse, Adele and Kate Nash.

30. Visit The Kurdish Museum and Library in Ravenscourt Park, the first museum for Kurdish Heritage in the World

40. Marvel at the world's largest collection of steam pumping engines at the Kew Bridge Steam Museum

50. View the largest outdoor fruiting olive tree in Britain at the Chelsea Physic Garden

60. Pay tribute at suffragette Sylvia Pankhurst's commemorative site, Pankhurst Green in Woodford

70. Get stylish in the UK's home of fashion - over 85% of UK fashion designers are based in London

80. Shop in the UK's leading retail city - over 40,000 shops and 80 individual markets

90. Eat at the world's first Hard Rock Café near Hyde Park Corner

100. See the original Mamma Mia! in its 10th year in the West End

For a full list, visit the Visit London website at www.visitlondon.com.

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