Bangkok--Oct 31--eTurboNews
LONDON (eTurboNews) -- The harsh reality of the impact of the London bombings in June is revealed in the latest tourism statistics released by Visit London. While the traditional British spirit of resilience enabled daily life in London to get back to normal very quickly after the terrorist incidents, the hard facts revealed that tourism was the true victim of the attacks.
The London Visitor Index, which is a compilation of ratings from ten industry surveys, reached its lowest point for two years, despite some growth in the number of incoming visitors to the UK from overseas.
About 3.25 million foreign tourists visited Britain in August, slightly more than the same month last year, when about 3.16 million traveled to Britain. North American visitor numbers for the month rose from 461,000 to 530,000.
There is evidence that other cities and tourist destinations around the country benefited, and visits to central London by British consumers were markedly down, which perhaps explains a serious drop in attendance figures at London attractions.
Overall visits to London attractions declined by almost a quarter in August, and it was the free admission and large venues, particularly museums, that felt the steepest drop in visitor numbers. Small attractions didn't do quite so badly, but it is clear that the London bombs have had a significant impact on all sectors of tourism.
London venues are still not out of the woods, four months on from the attacks. Early indications suggest that in September overall attendance levels were still below last year's figures by between 10 and 15 percent.
Visit London is putting the best possible gloss on the news and says that whilst the decline is serious, the capital's visitor economy has not collapsed. Although the London bombings have dented activity, they say the underlying prospects remain good. The organization says that the overseas market has held up remarkably well in the circumstances, and London's five airports reported vigorous activity throughout the summer.
"Although it's still too early to assess if the attacks will have a lasting impact on international visitors, every indication suggests it will not. It would seem that international travelers understand that terrorist activity can now happen anywhere, at very time, and that they cannot put their lives on hold indefinitely," disclosed a statement from Visit London.
"In contrast, domestic anxiety about London, coupled with lower general consumer confidence, significantly knocked domestic travel to the capital during August. In addition, sunny weekends also encouraged many Londoners to visit out-of-town and seaside locations during the month."
Hoteliers also suffered from this decrease in domestic visits during August, with occupancy rates down by over ten per cent. However, London hotels are dominated by leisure visitors during August, and occupancy rates are likely to recovery strongly in September as business trade returns following the summer holiday season.
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