A new campaign to encourage visitors to visit London is listing tings that con;y only be seen by coming to London. One of the items on this list is the Rosetta Stone – somewhat ironic, considering where it came from & the disputes over its ownership – perhaps unsurprising though considering the views of the current Mayor.

From:
Mayor of London

Press Release
‘Only in London’ – Mayor reveals plans for £60 million tourism boost to capital’s economy
20-3-2009 153

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today called on the world to come to London for the experience of a lifetime, as he announced a new £2million international marketing campaign to boost overseas visitors to the capital.

The Mayor launched the campaign on The London Eye, one of the capital’s most popular and unique attractions, on the first day of British Tourism Week.

London is a great value destination for overseas visitors who are actually spending more during their stay, and the latest campaign is expected to deliver an additional £60 million worth of benefits to the whole London economy by the end of the year. It follows on from Visit London’s highly successful £600,000 winter marketing campaigns which, to date, have returned £6.7 million to the economy.

Funded by the London Development Agency, the global campaign will be called “Only in London” and focus on the unique and exceptional experiences, sights and attractions that make this city such a popular destination for visitors from all over the world. It will also encourage Londoners to enjoy the distinctive and rich diversity of their own city.

Launching in the UK at the end of April, the campaign will then be rolled out across key international markets in Europe and North America during the summer.

Mayor Boris Johnson said:
“Only in London can you visit the historic Houses of Parliament in the morning, ride the London Eye in the afternoon, and see a wonderful West End Show before deciding which of the world’s cuisines to sample in its many restaurants. As well as the massive choice of things to do and see, our overseas visitors will find London even greater value for money today. They’ll see that their travel budget buys so much more in London and the only limit to their enjoyment will be not having enough hours in the day to fit it all in.”

The campaign theme was developed following Visit London’s extensive research into the city’s key visitor markets. This found that people were keen to come to the capital but wanted to be stimulated by London’s unique offering at a good value price.

Visit London’s Interim Chief Executive, Sally Chatterjee, said:
“Only in London is a confident and recognisable phrase that we know rings true with people who both visit and live in the city. What’s often familiar to us is very special to visitors. It’s a great way of reminding the world and ourselves of the sheer range and depth of attractions, events and history that make our wonderful city unique.”

Harvey McGrath, Chair of the London Development Agency, said:
“The LDA is treating the challenges faced by London’s business community in the current economic downturn as its highest priority. The promotion of London is a core part of the LDA’s role to promote London’s economy. We are providing additional funding for Visit London as part of the Mayor’s Economic Recovery Action Plan, and attracting additional visitors to London is a highly cost-effective way to provide a vital boost to London’s economy.”

To celebrate the campaign announcement, Visit London has also launched “Only in London 100” – one hundred examples of what makes the capital a unique place in the world to visit. These include:
– Ride the world’s largest observation wheel – the London Eye.
– See the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum.
– Enjoy strawberries and cream at Wimbledon Centre Court.
– Drink at Europe’s longest champagne bar at St Pancras International
– Discover where Hugh Grant met Julia Roberts in the movie Notting Hill.
– Shop at the Queen’s grocer, Fortnum & Mason’s.
– Watch the 2009 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships at the 02

Visit London will be promoting further examples throughout the campaign. The full “Only in London 100” list is available by visiting www.visitlondon.com

ENDS

Notes to Editors

1. Media for the campaign is to be confirmed but is likely to feature radio, online, press and outdoor advertising.

2. Visit London is the official visitor organisation for London. A leader in best practice destination marketing, Visit London promotes the UK capital internationally, across Britain and to Londoners targeting leisure and business visitors. Visit London works in partnership with the Mayor of London, the London Development Agency, London Councils and the tourism industry. For broadcast-standard video of London, please visit www.thenewsmarket.com/visitlondon . If you are a first-time user, please take a moment to register. Visit London footage is free for all editorial purposes.

3. British Tourism Week is organised by VisitBritain, with the support of Visit London, The Tourism Society, Tourism Alliance, Wales Tourism Alliance, Scottish Tourism Forum, British Hospitality Association, ABTA the Travel Association and Britain’s national and regional tourist boards, as well as Best of Britain Events, organisers of the Best of Britain & Ireland Travel Trade Forum (formerly the British Travel Trade Fair) and the Best of Britain & Ireland consumer show, which will form the centrepiece of British Tourism Week.