London set for Easter tourist bonanza as terror attack fails to deter record numbers of visitors

David Churchill, JOnathan Prynn
Updated
Rex
Rex

London is set for an Easter tourism bonanza as record numbers flock to the capital from all over the world for the bank holiday weekend.

A huge surge in inbound flight bookings and reservations for hotels and attractions compared with last year suggests visitors have not been deterred by last month’s terror attack in Westminster.

They are also rushing to take advantage of London’s bargain status following the 10 to 15 per cent devaluation of the pound in the wake of the Brexit referendum.

Bookings for international flights to London are up by 61 per cent compared with Easter 2016, according to figures from Europe’s largest online travel company eDreams ODIGEO.

Its chief executive Dana Dunne said: “London has always been a favourite destination for travellers from around the world and this Easter we’ve seen a 49 per cent increase in international flight bookings to the UK and 61 per cent for London.”

Arrivals from France and Germany are at least double last year and bookings from Spain are up 23 per cent.

Separate figures from travel market researchers ForwardKeys said arrivals for two nights or more from the US are expected to be up 68 per cent for April.

Leading lights: actors proving a big draw in the West End include Daniel Radcliffe (Alastair Muir )
Leading lights: actors proving a big draw in the West End include Daniel Radcliffe (Alastair Muir )

City Hall hailed the “bounce” as a sign London continues to be “a world-leader” for culture and the arts and remains “open for business”. Tourism chiefs said London’s theatres are proving a big draw, with three world-renowned actors — Daniel Radcliffe, Damian Lewis and Andrew Garfield — treading the boards over the bank holiday weekend and a fourth, Jude Law, returning to the stage after Easter in Ivo van Hove’s Obsession at the Barbican.

Reigo Eljas, UK director for travel and leisure website lastminute.com, said: “We expect to see a surge in theatre ticket bookings for hit shows such as Wicked, Dreamgirls, Aladdin and Kinky Boots over the Easter weekend.”

Star attraction: Andrew Garfield (Jason Bell)
Star attraction: Andrew Garfield (Jason Bell)

Hotels are also reporting high levels of occupancy as the visitors arrive. Maybourne Hotels, which runs Claridge’s, the Connaught and the Berkeley, said: “We’ve seen a particularly robust pick-up over the Easter period in London with year-on-year increases across our hotels.”

The timing of Easter this year compared with 2016, when it fell in late March, is thought to be one factor but tourism chiefs said the trend has been building since the start of the year. Darren Neylon, managing director of The Original Tour, London’s largest operator of sightseeing buses, said growth is in double figures this year. He said: “There is the Brexit impact on the pound and so people are seeing it as a cheaper destination than in other recent times. That, and that people see it as safe compared to other places. The Westminster incident, I think, people just see as a one-off.”

Deputy mayor for culture and creative industries Justine Simons said: “London is a world leader for culture, theatre, fashion, dance, food, and much more besides. As a city that is outward-looking and open for business, tourism, talent and creativity, it is little wonder millions of visitors continue to pick London as their destination of choice.”