The Tourism Industry Emergency Response (TIER) group met today (22 July) to assess the impact on tourism following the 7 July incidents in London

The Tourism Industry Emergency Response (TIER) group met 22 July to assess the impact on tourism following the 7 July incidents in London. The group released new research, commissioned through Oxford Economic Forecasting, which draws from a number of industry sources during the two-week period of 7 to 20 July.

The results do not take into account the incidents of 21 July, which the industry believes will have serious implications for tourism in London and potentially the rest of the UK. Any effects from the 21 July incidents will be picked up during the term of the study, which is ongoing.

The economic tracking study indicates that spending by overseas visitors may be 2% below initial full-year expectations for 2005. This would be at least £300 million less than industry expectations, which - as 50% of international visitors come to London - would represent a fall of £150 million to the capital; however this figure does not take the incidents of 21 July into consideration.

In spite of this, given the strong start to the year, the initial research suggests that overseas visitor arrivals and spending in the UK were still expected to show an increase over the 2004 year-end results.

The tracking study will continue to provide ongoing assessment of the situation. TIER will continue to monitor visitor numbers and receive intelligence from industry sources around the world and in the UK. This intelligence will help to establish the overall impact on the visitor economy and will be used to inform marketing and PR strategies to rebuild business.

James Bidwell, Chief Executive of Visit London said: ‘London is a very resilient city and we can take some comfort from the speed of recovery from 7 July. However, the incidents on the 21 July may have more serious implications and we are monitoring the situation very carefully at the same time as preparing our recovery plans. London is still the number one global tourist destination and many visitors and Londoners are out there now enjoying the breadth and diversity of attractions and experiences in the capital.’

Data in the OEF economic tracking study is drawn from a variety of indicators including accommodation, attractions, travel and enquiries.

Tourism Industry Emergency Response (TIER) group, which comprises:

Association of British Travel Agents

Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

AOA (Airport Operators Association)

British Airways

British Association of Leisure Parks , Piers and Attractions

British Educational Travel Association

British Hospitality Association

Business Tourism Partnership

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

London Development Agency

Passenger Shipping Association

Tourism Alliance

UKinbound

VisitBritain

Visit London

VisitScotland

Wales Tourist Board
In 2004, there were 27.8 million visitors to Britain , 12% up on 2003. They spent £13 billion in the UK: a 10% increase
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