The respondents, 87% of which were from overseas, said they enjoyed London’s entertainment most of all, closely followed by the shopping.
Just under half of the visitors had been or were planning to visit the Olympic Games and three quarters of the visitors said that London had surprised them in some way. The most common factor mentioned was the weather, and the warmth of welcome and friendliness of the British people.
The informal survey of 200 shoppers on London’s Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Piccadilly Circus was carried out by the New West End Company and the Heart of London Business Alliance in association with Visit Britain, in response to concerns last week that visitors were staying away from the shops and London’s more traditional tourist attractions in favour of visiting the Olympic Games.
Jace Tyrrell of the New West End Company said: "We’ve always known we have a strong retail and leisure offering, with 211 retailers choosing to locate their global flagship stores in the area. But this outstanding recognition really shows the fantastic appeal London’s West End has for visitors.
"We have more international brands than ever before including Bosideng, Ralph Lauren, UNIQLO and JM Weston, alongside an unrivalled entertainment offering of renowned theatres, casinos, cinemas, Michelin starred restaurants and entertainment like M&M’s World flagship store and Ripley’s Believe it or Not!"
"These figures show that 2012 really is a golden time to visit London," added Visit Britain CEO Sandie Dawe.
Source: Retail Bulletin
