Mayor of London to invest £6m into hospitality reopening

Sadiq Khan has announced a £6m investment to directly support the re-opening of London’s economy once Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

The mayor revealed he will be investing £5m to support the eventual reopening of central London, which will include a new campaign to attract visitors and tourists back into the capital later this year.

Additionally, a further £1m will be invested through the London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) to attract people from across the UK to visit the capital post-lockdown which will be “vital for the recovery” of retail, hospitality and cultural venues.

Furthermore, the mayor suggested that the money could also be spent on helping local businesses put in place more “al-fresco dining” to enable hospitality venues to re-open post-lockdown.

Khan said: “Central London is the engine of the UK’s economy, there simply won’t be a national economic recovery from Covid-19 unless all levels of government realise the crucial importance of protecting central London’s unique ecosystem of shops, hospitality and world-leading cultural venues.

Kate Nicholls, CEO of UKHospitality, added: “London’s hospitality businesses rely, in large part, on footfall from commuters and international tourists.The shift towards home working and the almost total absence of international tourists during the pandemic has meant that city centre businesses have taken a huge hit.

“If we want these businesses to survive, then we need to tempt people back into London and a plan to ensure that people have a reason to continue visiting regularly.”