london tourism recovery board

• Skip to content
• Skip to navigation
• Business Helping international businesses succeed
• Conventions Official convention bureau for London
• Major Events Helping major events come to life in London
• Partners Partner with the official promotional company for London
• Media Latest news and media resources
• Tourism Visitlondon.com: Official visitor guide for London
• Education Studylondon.ac.uk: Official university guide
• Business Areas

London invites UK visitors to rediscover their capital city with launch of biggest-ever domestic tourism campaign

10 May 2021

• London reopens its doors to UK visitors with launch of Let’s Do London – a £6m campaign and programme of seasonal events to reinvigorate Central London
• UK capital set to roar back to life with new art installations, cultural events, exhibitions, pop up performances, sport and theatre shows
• World famous attractions, museums and galleries, venues, artists and chefs join the Mayor of London to get behind campaign encouraging the safe return of domestic tourists to UK capital

Visitors from across the UK are being encouraged to rediscover everything they love about London, with the launch of the city’s biggest ever domestic tourism campaign – called ‘Let’s Do London.’ Launched today by the Mayor of London, Visit London, Transport for London and backed by industry, the multimillion-pound campaign and events programme will bring together the capital’s world-leading hospitality, culture, nightlife and retail venues to promote all London has to offer.

The campaign will reinvigorate Central London with a curated programme of seasonal events and cultural activities designed to suit a range of age groups. Over the course of the year, visitors to the UK capital will be able to enjoy new exhibitions, family-friendly experiences, theatre shows, sporting events, festivals and pop-up food and drink sites. 

With restrictions on international travel likely to continue over the coming months, the ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign will provide inspirational reasons for Londoners, day-trippers and overnight visitors to return to the capital as COVID restrictions are lifted. Analysis of forecasts by VisitBritain showed that consumer spending in central London by overseas tourists was £7.4 billion lower throughout 2020, while domestic tourists will have spent £3.5 billion less.

The blockbuster events programme will run during all four seasons this year – kicking off with the capital’s famous chefs, foodies and hospitality venues coming together to promote and celebrate London’s world-class food scene later this month.

A raft of new spectacular public art installations will also attract people back into London from this month. David Hockney, one of the UK’s most influential living artists, has redesigned TfL’s iconic roundel ‘Hockney Circus’ in a special artwork as part of a takeover of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station starting today. Turning central London into a huge outdoor art gallery, award winning London designer Yinka Ilori is leading on ‘Asphalt Art’, a series of major new temporary streetscape commissions in central London and the City of London, in partnership with the London Design Festival and Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative. There will also be a transformation of road crossings and street furniture in the West End, with a partnership between Royal Academy artists and the Heart of London Business Alliance Art of London programme. And multi-award-winning artist and designer Es Devlin will plant a living forest at Somerset House for this year’s London Design Biennale.

The summer season will see a programme of family fun, designed to make London a great choice for a staycation. From Alice in Wonderland at the V&A and Fantastic Beasts at the Natural History to the Royal Opera House ‘Unlocked’ taking over the Covent Garden piazza. ‘London Lates’ over the summer months will see extended opening hours across museums, galleries and cultural and grassroots music venues. Shakespeare’s Globe for example will stage 'Midnight Matinees' with performances starting at 11.59pm, and an invitation to get back to the big screen will see outdoor film screenings curated by BAFTA and the British Film Institute.

This summer will also see a celebration of sport in London, with the UK capital hosting eight games in UEFA Euro 2020, including the semi-finals and the final at Wembley. This June will also see the return of The Championships, Wimbledon, and a brand-new cricket competition (The Hundred), followed by the Rugby League World Cup and Virgin Money London Marathon later this year.

The Autumn will welcome back major creative festivals, such as London Fashion Week, Frieze London, the London Design Festival, and the 65th BFI London Film Festival. For Winter and in the lead up to the festive period, magical lighting will brighten central London supporting the critical pre and post-Christmas ‘golden period’ for London’s culture, hospitality and retail businesses.

Theatre-lovers can look forward to a host of new West End productions running throughout the year, such as Back to the Future, Hairspray and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. From August, families will be able to enjoy the Disney’s smash hit, Frozen the Musical, for the first time on the London theatre stage at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. For those looking for an outdoor theatrical experience, the Regents Park Open Air theatre will open from June with a progamme including Shakespearean classic with Romeo & Juliet and family favourites Anansi the Spider and Dragons & Mythical Beasts.

There will be further exciting announcements across the year to showcase London’s world class nightlife, cultural attractions and hospitality businesses as well as the city’s grassroots venues and how creative freelancers, artists and performers will be at the heart of the programme as it continues to develop.

The Mayor has allocated £6M to directly support the new campaign, in addition to industry contributing over £1m in funding and value-in-kind. The campaign will include a major advertising push supported by London & Partners and TfL, alongside new content on the Visit London website outlining all the campaign has to offer to Londoners and visitors to the capital. It will include a new TfL campaign launching next month, involving TV and poster advertising, that will encourage people to rediscover London by public transport.

To ensure London re-opens safely the capital’s venues are doing a huge amount of work to ensure they follow COVID guidance – whether around new queuing systems, staggered arrival times, and a variety of social distancing measures. The Mayor continues to urge Londoners to show caution and follow the rules when out and about, wearing a face covering in shops and other indoor venues, carrying hand sanitiser, and keeping to social distancing. He continues to urge Londoners to take up the vaccine as soon as they are offered it. 

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Today I am at the iconic Shakespeare's Globe to launch ‘Let’s Do London’ - the biggest domestic tourism campaign London has ever seen to champion our businesses, cultural institutions and attractions that have suffered so much during the pandemic. This is about getting the message out to Londoners and people across the country that our capital stands ready to entertain, inspire and enthral once again.        

“Our new campaign is bringing together many of the capital’s leading organisations and venues to offer an unparalleled experience for anyone visiting the capital throughout the year.  With restrictions on international travel likely to continue this year, Londoners and visitors from the UK have a unique opportunity to experience all the capital has to offer without the queues. In doing so you’ll be providing vital support for our world-leading venues as they start to re-open and need our help more than ever.”

Allen Simpson, Acting CEO London & Partners which runs Visit London said: “London is ready to welcome back visitors from all across the UK. Whether you are a family planning a day out at a park or theatre show, or someone looking to experience the latest restaurant opening or the one of the many new museum exhibitions, now is the time to rediscover the UKs capital city.

“London will be roaring back into life over the coming months as the city’s tourism, hospitality and retail sectors come together to put on an exciting programme for the year ahead. The Let’s Do London campaign will shine a spotlight on the fantastic range of cultural events, exhibitions, pop up performances, sport and theatre available in our capital city.

CEO of UKHospitality, Kate Nicholls, said: “It is incredibly encouraging that the Mayor has wasted no time after his re-election to make tourism a clear and immediate priority. The Let’s Do London campaign is a shot in the arm to help revive the capital’s ravaged visitor economy. With such limited international travel, the immediate priority is to remind Britons that one of the world’s top tourist destinations is on their doorstep. We look forward to working with the Mayor and his office to revive employment, hospitality and tourism in London.”

Bernard Donoghue, Director Association of Leading Visitor Attractions & Co-Chair, London Tourism Recovery Board, said: "London's visitor economy has been hit hard over the last year and we've all missed our theatres, museums, galleries, performances venues and heritage properties. Without them London has just felt less 'Londony'. But this Summer we can reclaim, rediscover and fall back in love with these special places. They will all be contributing to a Summer and a year like no other when the visitor experience will be phenomenal, the welcome never warmer and the importance of London's attractions, culture and tourism economy never better appreciated. We thank the Mayor, his team and partners for all they have done in working with us to help London recover better. Let's Do London."

Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive at New West End Company representing Bond Street, Oxford Street, Regent Street and Mayfair said: “With international travel still uncertain and domestic lockdown restrictions lifting further over this month and next, London and UK visitors will be able to enjoy the very best of the capital, without all the overseas tourists, with its truly remarkable retail, leisure, hospitality and cultural offering - a summer like no other. The Let’s Do London campaigns celebrates London as a destination in itself and will help attract our much missed customers to the capital. In the West End alone, we are home to utterly brilliant hotels, galleries, flagship stores, Christmas light displays and art installations; so our big, bold unambiguous ask is come and support the West End as one in ten Londoners jobs depend on it." ‎

Yinka Ilori, artist and designer, said: "Super excited to be part of the Asphalt Art project and really looking forward to creating something magical that brings people from around the world together."

Es Devlin, artist, designer and Artistic Director for London Design Biennale said : “When I was first shown around Somerset House many years ago, I discovered that the Enlightenment principles on which the building was conceived, specifically forbade the introduction of trees into the courtyard. Of course, the first thing we wanted to do when considering this year’s Biennale was to counter this attitude of human dominance over nature, by allowing a forest to overtake the entire courtyard. In literature forests are often places of transformation: the forest of Arden in Shakespeare, the enchanted forests of the Brothers Grimm. The UN Global Goals offer us clear ways to engage and alter our behaviour and it is our hope that an interaction with the Goals in the forest will be transformative."

Deputy Mayor for Culture and Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: “Culture is in London’s DNA, and the creative industries will be key to kickstarting our economic recovery. Our Let’s Do London campaign highlights the very best of the capital’s cultural offerings. From inspiring outdoor public art installations and the late opening of our world-famous museums, galleries and cultural venues, to the return of major culture festivals, we look forward to safely welcoming people back to enjoy the greatest city in the world.”

Amy Lamé, London’s Night Czar, adds: “We hope that Londoners and visitors alike will see Let’s Do London as a beacon of hope, following what has been a dark, uncertain time for so many. From eclectic bars to world-class theatres and a rich tapestry of eateries, London is bursting at the seams with cultural excellence - and this programme will truly showcase that.” 

Merlin’s UK Marketing Director & Chair of the London Recovery Board Marketing Directors Group Sara Holt said : “Merlin has been involved with the Mayor’s “Let’s Do London’ campaign from the beginning and is focused on enticing overnight domestic tourists from outside the capital.This campaign is critical to helping attract visitors back to our amazing city. Research has found that for every £1m invested in advertising outside London, 1,200 jobs are secured in London”

Partners who are coming together to support the Let’s Do London’ campaign include : ALVA, BAFTA, BFI, Barbican, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Capital & Counties, City of London Corporation, Central London Alliance, Discover South Kensington, English National Opera, Exhibition Road Cultural Group, Film London, Frieze London, Grosvenor Estates, Heart of London Business Alliance, Heathrow Airport, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Historic Royal Palaces, London Councils, London Design Festival, London First, London Fashion Week, London Symphony Orchestra, London Tourism Cooperative, London Tourism Recovery Board, Marriott International,  Merlin Entertainments, Museum of London, National Gallery, National Theatre, Natural History Museum, New West End Company, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Photo London, Port of London Authority, PPHE Hotel Group, Roundhouse, Royal Academy of Arts, Royal Albert Hall, Royal Opera House, Royal Parks, Sadler’s Wells, Science Museum, Shaftesbury, Shakespeare’s Globe, Society of London Theatre, South Bank BID, Southbank Centre, Tate, The Crown Estate, V&A, Visit Greenwich, Westminster Council, Whitbread, UKHospitality, ZSL London Zoo.

More details about some of the exciting events planned in London throughout the year can also be found on the Visit London webpage - www.visitlondon.com/letsdolondon

Notes to editors

For more information or media enquiries, please contact the London & Partners press team: [email protected]

For all press images including some of the highlights mentioned – please see here

Forthcoming seasonal highlights taking place across London as part of the ‘Let’s Do London’ campaign:

Kicking off this month with a focus on promoting London’s global food offer and new world class public art installations transforming some of London’s most well-known locations.

• London Eats: with many of the capital’s famous chefs, foodies and hospitality venues coming together to promote and celebrate London’s diverse food and drink venues in new ways.
• David Hockney, one of the UK’s most influential living artists, has redesigned TfL’s iconic roundel for a very special artwork as part of takeover of Piccadilly Circus Underground Station and Piccadilly Lights with the Circa project, celebrating the arrival of Spring in the run up to his exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.
• Royal Academy artists Yinka Shonibare CBE (RA), Michael Armitage, Farshid Moussavi OBE (RA), Vanessa Jackson RA and Isaac Julien CBE (RA) will also transform road crossings and street furniture in the west end. In a partnership with the Heart of London Business Alliance Art of London programme.
• Turning central London into a huge outdoor art gallery, award winning London designer, Yinka Ilori will lead major new temporary streetscape commissions in central London Westminster and the City of London, in partnership with the London Design Festival and Bloomberg Philanthropies' Asphalt Art Initiative.
• Multi-award-winning artist and designer Es Devlin is planting a living forest at Somerset House for her Forest of Change project as this year’s artistic director of the London Design Biennale.
• Curated by Film London and produced in partnership with Geotourist, ‘Movie Magic Tour' launched today takes in 12 filming locations across Central London from Batman Begins to Mary Poppins Returns, exploring the stories behind the movie magic captured in the capital. 

A season of summer family fun, for young and old. Rediscover London through great outdoor events and at famous tourist destinations, opening up the city or families to explore. Highlights include:

• The summer of 2021 will see a celebration of sport in London, with the UK capital hosting eight games in UEFA Euro 2020, including the semi-finals and the final at Wembley. This June will also see the return of The Championships, Wimbledon (28 Jun – 11 Jul), and a brand-new cricket competition (The Hundred), followed by the Rugby League World Cup (23 rd Oct to 27 th Nov) and Virgin Money London Marathon on 3 rd
• ROH Unlocked will see the Royal Opera House out and about, taking over Covent Garden with performances, participation and installations (10-11 July 2021)
• Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser is an immersive theatrical show for all ages at the V&A will open on 22 May.
• Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature Exhibition at the Natural History Museum reveals how the wonders of the natural world have inspired myths and magical creatures for generations, from 17 May.
• Van Gogh Alive (June 4 – Sept 26). Having dazzled over 7 million visitors in 65 cities worldwide, the world’s most visited immersive, multi-sensory experience is coming to the stunning Kensington Gardens this summer for an exclusive four month run.
• Thomas Becket Exhibition: murder and the making of a saint, British Museum (20 May – 22 August 2021). Discover the murder that shook the Middle Ages in this dramatic exhibition about the life, death and legacy of Thomas Becket.
• David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020, Royal Academy (23 May – 26 September 2021). The Royal Academy of Arts will present David Hockney: The Arrival of Spring, Normandy, 2020 comprising a new body of work created by David Hockney RA during a period of intense activity at his home in Normandy, charting the unfolding and progression of spring.
• The EY Exhibition: The Making of Rodin, Tate Modern (18 May – 21 November 2021) . Discover how Auguste Rodin broke the rules of classical sculpture to create new images of the human body for the modern age. This landmark exhibition includes rarely-seen plaster and clay sculptures which reveal Rodin’s ways of thinking and making.
• A number of London theatres will be welcoming back audiences from 17 May with social distancing, and more to reopen from 21 June. From new plays to long-running favourites, there is a huge variety of musical theatre, plays, dance and opera returning to the stage later in the year.
• Kids Week returns and will showcase the best of the West End as theatre roars back to life
• Enjoy theatre and comedy under the stars at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 2021 programme has been announced, and begins in June. See a Shakespearean classic with Romeo & Juliet, Rodgers and Hammerstein's iconic musical Carousel, and family favourites Anansi the Spider and Dragons & Mythical Beasts
• London’s leading festival of free outdoor theatre and performing arts, Greenwich + Docklands International Festival, returns on 27 August until 11 September 2021
• Breakin’ Convention, the world's biggest festival of hip hop dance, is back at Sadler’s Wells for its 18th year (3 - 4 July 2021)
• Roman Weekend Takeover at the British Museum in August where families will be able to enjoy a Roman Encampment on the front lawns, meet the Emperor Nero himself and visit the special exhibition Nero: the man behind the myth.
• You can even learn to be a knight at the Tower of London’s ‘Knight School: The Show’ (29 May to 6 June 2021)
• Play Streets - London Play, the capital’s leading charity for children’s play, will be opening up central London for families and putting play back on the capital’s streets  
• A large-scale free activity for families at Tate Modern throughout the school summer holidays
• Southbank Centre welcomes audiences back with their Summer Reunion programme – 15 consecutive weekends of free outdoor activity from 21 May including music, poetry and visual art as well as indoor performances of ballet, literature, contemporary and classical music starting with the Chineke! Orchestra on 28 May in the Royal Festival Hall.
• Inside Out Festival in Westminster sees pop-ups, installations taking over the streets
• Mayfair Sculpture Trail - galleries from across this renowned art district present sculptures beyond their walls, with visitors being able to enjoy artworks showcased across Bond Street, Berkeley Square and within Grosvenor Square (2 - 27 June 2021)
• London Festival of Hope - Organised by the London Tourism Cooperative the year-long London Festival of Hope is a true celebration of life with an art and photography contest, competitions for all the family including an amateur ‘bake-off’, community activations, giant inflatables taking over London’s skyline and a series of outdoor live music concerts that will reimagine the performance space.
• The Royal Albert Hall’s 150th anniversary celebrations will properly begin on 29 May, as audiences return to the venue for socially-distanced events. A typically eclectic programme for the first week includes family concerts, the Royal Choral Society singing Handel’s Messiah – an annual tradition since 1876 – and events spotlighting country music and ballet. Subject to the next stage of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown going ahead as planned, the Hall will then re-open to the public with full capacity from 6 July.

SUMMER LATES

• Over the summer months museums, galleries and cultural venues will open late. New collaborations will celebrate London’s film and music, working with London’s grassroot venues, LGBTQ+ venues and night clubs.
• An invitation to get back to the big screen will see outdoor film screenings curated by BAFTA and the London Film Festival.
• 'Midnight Matinees' at Shakespeare’s Globe with performances starting at 11.59pm and Lates nights at London Zoo are just a few of the great things in store.
• Art Night will happen across central London in June and July.
• The Proms will be back at the Royal Albert Hall (30 th July – 11 September)
• BMW Classics, a free outdoor concert in central London, by the world renowned London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle.

 AUTUMN

London’s Autumn season will see the crown jewels of London’s creativity return.

• London Fashion Week will burst back onto the catwalks.
• The 19th London Design Festival will take place across the city from 18-26 September 2021.
• Frieze London returns to Regent’s Park with the best of international contemporary art by emerging and established artists, alongside a dynamic programme of newly commissioned artworks, films and talks – (13–17 October, 2021)
• Photo London brings the finest international photograph to Somerset House between 9–12 September 2021
• 65th BFI London Film Festival runs from 6 to 17 October 2021 with a selection of the best in world cinema, showing audiences a wide array of films, representing a variety of languages, genres and filmmaking styles

WINTER: Lights

• Finally, in the lead up to the festive period, magical lighting will brighten central London supporting the critical pre and post Christmas ‘golden period’ for London’s culture, hospitality and retail businesses.

About London & Partners and visitlondon.com  

Visitlondon.com is the official visitor guide to London and is run by London & Partners, the business growth and destination agency for London. Our mission is ​ to create economic growth ​that is resilient, sustainable ​and inclusive.​

Visitlondon.com is a comprehensive resource for everything that is happening in London. At any one time, this includes 20,000 event listings, plus content designed to inspire and assist visitors. Visitlondon.com is available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish. Each month visitlondon.com attracts more than 3.5m visits and its social media channels have 1.75m followers. For more information visit visitlondon.com  

London & Partners Communications Team

London & Partners Media & PR Team

Tel: +44 (0)20 7234 5710

Tel: +44 (0)20 7234 5800

Domestic visitors targeted in £6m London tourism campaign

• Share on WhatsApp
• Share by email

A £6 million domestic tourism campaign – ‘Let’s Do London’ – aims to encourage visits to revitalise the capital as Covid restrictions are lifted from Monday.

Hailed by newly re-elected mayor Sadiq Khan as the city’s biggest ever promotional push, it brings together hospitality, culture, nightlife and retail venues to highlight all London has to offer.

 A programme of seasonal events and cultural activities has been designed to suit a range of age groups during all four seasons, kicking off with a promotion of food from later this month.

There will also be new exhibitions, family-friendly experiences, theatre shows, sporting events, festivals and pop-up food and drink sites.   

More:  JetBlue targets Paris following London launch later this year

Discounted London hotels offered in travel kick-start

Heathrow urges ‘significant expansion’ of green list countries

With restrictions on international travel likely to continue over the coming months, the campaign aims to provide inspirational reasons for Londoners, day-trippers and overnight visitors to return to the capital.  

Analysis of forecasts by VisitBritain showed that consumer spending in central London by overseas tourists was £7.4 billion down in 2020, while domestic tourists will have spent £3.5 billion less.

The mayor has allocated £6 million to directly support the new campaign, in addition to industry contributing more than £1 million in funding and value-in-kind.

The campaign will include a major advertising push supported by London & Partners and Transport for London, alongside new content on the Visit London website.

New public art installations will also attract people back into London from this month.

The summer will see a programme of family fun, designed to make London a great choice for a staycation.

‘London Lates’ over the summer months will see extended opening hours across museums, galleries and cultural and grassroots music venues. Shakespeare’s Globe, for example, will stage ‘Midnight Matinees’ with performances starting at 11.59pm.

The capital will also host eight games in UEFA Euro 2020, including the semi-finals and the final at Wembley.

June will also see the return of the tennis championships at Wimbledon, a new cricket competition The Hundred, followed by the Rugby League World Cup and London Marathon later this year.

Major creative festivals will return in the autumn, such as London Fashion Week, Frieze London, the London Design Festival, and the 65th BFI London Film Festival.

New West End theatre productions unclude Back to the Future, Hairspray and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.

Disney’s Frozen the Musical will be staged from August at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Khan described the promotion as   “the biggest domestic tourism campaign London has ever seen to champion our businesses, cultural institutions and attractions that have suffered so much during the pandemic”.

He added: “This is about getting the message out to Londoners and people across the country that our capital stands ready to entertain, inspire and enthral once again.

“Our new campaign is bringing together many of the capital’s leading organisations and venues to offer an unparalleled experience for anyone visiting the capital throughout the year.

“With restrictions on international travel likely to continue this year, Londoners and visitors from the UK have a unique opportunity to experience all the capital has to offer without the queues. In doing so you’ll be providing vital support for our world-leading venues as they start to re-open and need our help more than ever.”

UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls:   “It is incredibly encouraging that the mayor has wasted no time after his re-election to make tourism a clear and immediate priority.

“The   Let’s Do London   campaign is a shot in the arm to help revive the capital’s ravaged visitor economy.

“With such limited international travel, the immediate priority is to remind Britons that one of the world’s top tourist destinations is on their doorstep. We look forward to working with the mayor and his office to revive employment, hospitality and tourism in London.”

Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and co-chair, London Tourism Recovery Board, added:   “London’s visitor economy has been hit hard over the last year and we’ve all missed our theatres, museums, galleries, performances venues and heritage properties. Without them London has just felt less ‘Londony’.

“But this summer we can reclaim, rediscover and fall back in love with these special places. They will all be contributing to a summer and a year like no other when the visitor experience will be phenomenal, the welcome never warmer and the importance of London’s attractions, culture and tourism economy never better appreciated.”

Share article

View comments, cruise ship passenger levy of €20 planned for popular greek islands, wttc hails ‘step change’ in hospitality sustainability, fred olsen cruise lines creates guest experience director role, spaa reveals winners of 2024 sparkle awards, jacobs media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 queen's award for enterprise..

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more .

• How we are run
• Our strategy
• Our statements
• Our funders
• Annual Reports
• Our committees
• Our policies
• Code of Ethics
• Anti-racism
• Collections
• Decolonising museums
• Learning and engagement
• Museums Change Lives
• Museums for Climate Justice
• Associateship (AMA)
• Museum Essentials
• Fellowship (FMA)
• Competency Framework
• Redundancy Hub
• Wellbeing Hub
• Career Conversations
• Entering the sector
• Conference 2024
• Forthcoming events
• Watch our webinars
• Conference 2023 content
• Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund
• Members Support Fund
• Beecroft Bequest
• Mindsets + Missions
• In practice
• Watch and listen
• Museums Journal

Mayor of London announces domestic tourism campaign

Sadiq Khan has announced plans for London’s biggest ever domestic tourism campaign while signing on for his second term as mayor of London.

In a ceremony on Monday 10 May at Shakespeare’s Globe, Khan launched Let’s Do London : his push for London’s economic recovery following the easing of Covid restrictions, in partnership with the city's hospitality, culture and retail industries.

The campaign will encourage visitors and residents to come back into central London following lockdown and will include a programme of special events in collaboration with some of the city's cultural institutions and tourism attractions.

Khan has allocated £6m to directly support the new campaign, with industry partners additionally contributing over £1m in funding and value-in-kind. The campaign will include an advertising push and new content on the Visit London website, outlining what the capital has to offer to both Londoners and tourists.

Speaking at the Globe, Khan said: “It’s an honour to have been re-elected with a huge mandate as mayor of the city I love – the greatest city in the world. The work begins anew today to refresh and reignite our city and to kick-start our economy as London continues to reopen.

“Today I am at the iconic Shakespeare's Globe to launch Let’s Do London – the biggest domestic tourism campaign London has ever seen – to champion our businesses, cultural institutions and attractions that have suffered so much during the pandemic. This is about getting the message out to Londoners and people across the country that our capital stands ready to entertain, inspire and enthral once again.”

As summer approaches, a variety of exhibitions will launch at museums across the capital, alongside many family-friendly activities. The Natural History Museum will welcome visitors to Fantastic Beasts: The Wonder of Nature from 17 May, and the V&A’s Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser, an immersive theatrical show, will open on 22 May. In August, families will be able to visit a Roman encampment on the front lawns of the British Museum.

London Lates over the summer months will see extended opening hours at museums, galleries and other cultural venues, and new collaborations will celebrate London’s film and music, working in partnership with London’s grassroot venues, LGBTQ+ venues and nightclubs.

Dan Wolfe, commercial director at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “We’re delighted to be involved with the mayor’s much-needed Let’s Do London campaign. With restrictions on international travel likely to have an impact on inbound tourism to the capital for the foreseeable future, it’s right that our focus should be on attracting domestic visitors to London.

“There’s never been a better time to visit and we have an exciting summer planned at the palaces – from a fashion exhibition at Kensington Palace, to our Knight School for families at the Tower of London. We hope that this campaign will encourage visitors back to our sites to discover London’s fascinating history and, in doing so, support organisations like ours as we begin to rebuild and recover.”

Outdoor art will also change the landscape of central London for visitors. Artist David Hockney has redesigned Transport for London’s iconic roundel to create Hockney Circus, part of an art takeover of Piccadilly Circus Station and Piccadilly Lights, while designer Yinka Ilori will lead on Asphalt Art, a series of new temporary streetscape commissions.

A partnership between Royal Academy artists and the Heart of London Business Alliance Art of London programme will also see road crossings and street furniture in the West End transformed into art.

Bernard Donoghue, director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions and co-chair of the London Tourism Recovery Board, said: “London's visitor economy has been hit hard over the last year and we've all missed our theatres, museums, galleries, performances venues and heritage properties. Without them London has just felt less ‘Londony’. But this summer we can reclaim, rediscover and fall back in love with these special places.

“They will all be contributing to a summer and a year like no other when the visitor experience will be phenomenal, the welcome never warmer and the importance of London's attractions, culture and tourism economy never better appreciated. We thank the mayor, his team and partners for all they have done in working with us to help London recover better. Let's Do London.”

In his speech Khan also confirmed that a top priority for his second term as Mayor will be “jobs, jobs, jobs”, putting investment in employment and skills at the centre of his plans.

Let's Do London begins this month, with many cultural and hospitality venues in England able to reopen their indoor areas from 17 May.

Celebrate going #BackToMuseums

As a Museums Association member, you get free or discounted entry to more than 900 museums, galleries and heritage sites across the UK.

Join today  and start planning your post-lockdown diary.

Enjoy this article?

Most Museums Journal content is only available to members. Join the MA to get full access to the latest thinking and trends from across the sector, case studies and best practice advice.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

You must be signed in to post a comment.

In brief | Latest news, funding and moves in the sector

Backlash over bbc story on value of birmingham’s artworks, nhm launches futuristic mixed reality exhibition.

• Digital Commerce

Lets Do London: London’s most effective ever domestic tourism campaign – how it turned around London’s Covid-ravaged tourism sector

• Destinations and locations
• United Kingdom

Campaign details

Brand: Lets Do London Advertiser: London & Partners Entrant: Wavemaker London Category: Single Market Principal authors: Ed Sellier, Wavemaker; David Graham, Wavemaker Contributing authors: Gavin Laisby, Wavemaker; Simon McCaugherty, London & Partners; Sara Vergara-Muro, Merlin Entertainments; Jakob Oddershede, London & Partners; Harry Davenport, Wavemaker UK; Dominic Mellin, Wavemaker UK; Ashleigh Whitehouse, Wavemaker UK; Rose Wangen-Jones, London and Partners

Market background and context

The Covid-19 pandemic arrived in March 2020 and is still felt at the time of writing this paper two years later. It decimated London's domestic and international tourism sector across...

WARC subscribers can sign in to keep reading

Not a subscriber?

Schedule your live demo with our team today

WARC helps you to plan, create and deliver more effective marketing

Prove your case and back-up your idea

Get expert guidance on strategic challenges

Tackle current and emerging marketing themes

We’re long-term subscribers to WARC and it’s a tool we use extensively. We use it to source case studies and best practice for the purposes of internal training, as well as for putting persuasive cases to clients. In compiling a recent case for long-term, sustained investment in brand, we were able to support key marketing principles with numerous case studies sourced from WARC. It helped bring what could have been a relatively dry deck to life with recognisable brand successes from across a broad number of categories. It’s incredibly efficient to have such a wealth of insight in one place.

Insights Team Bray Leino

You’re in good company

We work with 80% of Forbes' most valuable brands* and 80% of the world's top top-of-the-class agencies.

Welcome back to WARC!

We’ve made some exciting changes since your last visit, bringing you:

• Latest category insights straight to your homepage
• A new Evidence series on key marketing questions
• Category campaign data from recent case studies

Please scan the QR code

Cookies on GOV.UK

We use some essential cookies to make this website work.

We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services.

We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.

You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.

Tourism Recovery Plan

The Tourism Recovery Plan sets out the role that the UK government will play in assisting and accelerating the tourism sector's recovery from COVID-19.

Tourism Recovery Plan: Update on delivery

PDF , 850 KB , 66 pages

The Tourism Recovery Plan

PDF , 1.48 MB , 62 pages

UK tourism scenario forecasts

PDF , 779 KB , 16 pages

In November 2020, as part of the Global Travel Taskforce report , the UK government made a commitment to publish a Tourism Recovery Plan in 2021.

The plan represents an important milestone in the recovery of the tourism sector from the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It will ensure the tourism sector is well placed to reach its full potential and contribute to the UK government’s ambitious overall plan for growth.

Updates to this page

Added 'Update on delivery' document.

First published.

Sign up for emails or print this page

Related content, is this page useful.

• Yes this page is useful
• No this page is not useful

Help us improve GOV.UK

Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details.

To help us improve GOV.UK, we’d like to know more about your visit today. Please fill in this survey (opens in a new tab) .

• Industry News
• Visitor Figures
• Member Photography
• ALVA Press releases
• Members by sector
• Members by region

Association of Leading Visitor Attractions

• Like ALVA on Facebook

• Follow ALVA on Twitter

Counter-Terrorism Advice

Security advice for attractions.

Briefings produced by the Police and Government for your information.

London Tourism Recovery Toolkit

Let's do london campaign.

This toolkit was commissioned by the London Tourism Recovery Board (LTRB), which is co-chaired by ALVA and UK Hospitality, and created by London and Partners after extensive consumer research.

COVID19 resources

Playgrounds reopening guidance, attractions recovery tracker wave 11.

Wave 11 Fieldwork: 18-21 February 2022

Attractions Recovery Tracker Wave 9

Wave 9 Fieldwork: 17-22 June 2021

Attractions Recovery Tracker Wave 8

Wave 8 Fieldwork: 21-27 April 2021

Attractions Recovery Tracker Wave 7

Wave 7 Fieldwork: 3-9 March 2021

ALVA Attractions Recovery Tracker

Wave 6 Fieldwork: 26-21 January 2021

Decision House Visitor Sentiment Wave 4 17/7/2020

Scottish govt guidance for tourism & hospitality, scottish govt guidance on attractions & heritage, updated guidance on places of worship 4 july 2020, reopening places of worship guidance, test and trace guidance: visitor contact details, heritage reopening guidance, biaza guidance for reopening zoos and aquariums, decision house visitor sentiment wave 3 19/6/20, decision house visitor sentiment wave 2 22/5/20, decision house visitor sentiment wave 1 30/4/20, visitor attractions and tourism - england, uk hospitality reopening guidance, hotel and guest accommodation reopening guidance, the broad visitor economy, museums reopening guidance (uk government), museums reopening guidance (nmdc), england lockdown regulations 3rd november 2020, regulations published 3rd november, marketing forecasts and intelligence, london and partners.

Insights & Statistics This section provides you with a wealth of in-depth research and market intelligence about London tourism, foreign direct investment and higher education.

VisitBritain Forecasts

Find out what VisitBritain expects to happen to the volume and value of inbound tourism during the next year along with longer term forecasts for global tourism produced by Tourism Economics.

VisitEngland Market Research

Market research for the tourism industry in England.

VisitScotland trends & insights

Trends which impact on tourism in Scotland and worldwide.

VisitWales Research

The Visit Wales research department's role is to support Visit Wales' key functions of tourism development and marketing. It undertakes and commissions research and provides advice on all research matters, compiles and delivers an annual research programme, and evaluates the performance of key Visit Wales activities. Most of its factsheets and reports are available to download.

November 2020 England lockdown restrictions guidance

Government guidance, reopening guidance; playgrounds.

• Resources & Initiatives
• IPA Effectiveness Awards Case Studies

Lets Do London: London’s most effective ever domestic tourism campaign How it turned around London’s Covid ravaged tourism sector

London was experiencing 50% fewer visitors due to international travel restrictions in the pandemic. Many attractions were also closed for several months in 2021. This case describes how the London Tourism Recovery Board aimed to trigger British-based visits to London. The LTRB unified businesses and lobbied government to secure additional funding for a communications platform, #LetsDoLondon, to deliver a high impact, regionally tailored marketing campaign to stimulate the highest potential pockets of high value demand. Marketing recruited an incremental 280,000 valuable visitors, worth £70m in additional visitor spend.

Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

UK Edition Change

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

‘Tourists stay away’ – so warns the ruling party of failed-state Britain

The man who pays his way: inbound tourism is the closest that any location can get to free money.

Article bookmarked

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

Sign up to Simon Calder’s free travel email for expert advice and money-saving discounts

Get simon calder’s travel email, thanks for signing up to the simon calder’s travel email.

D isdain for tourists has never been stronger among European nations. Amsterdam has launched a campaign to deter overindulgent visitors . Next month, opposition intensifies in Spain and Italy. Activists in the Canary Islands will stage a huge demonstration in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, saying they are “overwhelmed” by tourism . And from May, Venice starts testing a day charge for tourists of €5 on peak dates in spring and summer .

The UK is going one better. As English Tourism Week 2024 ended last week, the governing party embarked on a campaign to frighten away prospective visitors.

London is the main gateway for most incoming tourists and by far the biggest single draw to Britain. Westminster, where Conservative Campaign Headquarters is located, is usually busy with overseas visitors. Enough is enough, the party bosses appear to have concluded. Time to put some messaging out to scare them off.

The capital, according to the Conservatives’ new social media campaign , “has become a crime capital of the world”.

A video put out by the ruling party paints a chilling picture of the city: “Gripped by the tendrils of rising crime, London’s citizens stay inside. The streets are quiet. Quieter at night now than they used to be.”

Who is responsible for this alarming state of affairs? The Labour Party, apparently.

The video warns: “A 54 per cent increase in knife crime since the Labour mayor seized power has the metropolis teetering on the brink of chaos.

“For people living life under Labour, like the citizens of London, the scales of justice remain tipped in favour of the darkness.”

The nation’s other big cities should also be given a wide berth, according to the Conservatives. The ruling party warns of “rotting rubbish” and “boarded-up buildings” in Birmingham.

Further north, anyone contemplating a trip to Manchester should know it has been branded “the worst city in Europe for eco-friendly transport”. It has, the Conservatives say: “Almost no electric shared cars, negligible electric buses, poor charging infrastructure and hardly anyone even has a pushbike.”

The UK, then, looks well on the way to being a failed state, and well worth avoiding. Surely it can’t be that, with local and national elections approaching, the ruling party will say anything to try to win votes – regardless of the economic consequences and damage to our reputation?

“Have you utterly lost the plot?” So asks London’s tourism recovery board co-chair Bernard Donoghue. “This is a wonderful way to mark the end of English Tourism Week,” he continues. “These reckless, alarming, scaremongering lies and trashing of London – we depend on domestic and overseas visitors – is appalling.”

Inbound tourism is the closest that any country, or city, can get to free money. But the government gives the impression of doing all it can to discourage visitors.

The campaign against overseas tourists began in October 2021, when the then-home secretary Priti Patel banned what she called “the use of insecure ID cards for people to enter our country”. This prohibition disenfranchises more than 200 million European Union citizens who have ID cards but not passports from visiting the UK.

The ban has been remarkably successful. The previously healthy inbound tourism from groups of EU schoolchildren, many attending language schools on the south coast, is all but destroyed. Patricia Yates, chief executive of VisitBritain, told MPs: “You will find destinations like Hastings absolutely decimated by a lack of school visits.”

Careful what you say though: the Conservatives might add the Sussex seaside resort to its list of places to avoid.

“Hastings: absolutely decimated.” That’s one way to stop an invasion.

Simon Calder, also known as The Man Who Pays His Way, has been writing about travel for The Independent since 1994. In his weekly opinion column, he explores a key travel issue – and what it means for you.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.

New to The Independent?

Or if you would prefer:

Hi {{indy.fullName}}

• My Independent Premium
• Account details
• Help centre

Home Who we are Our Board

The Chief Executive, Ros Morgan, and the team are responsible for the delivery and management of the business plan at Heart of London.

Chief Executive

Ros has over 20 years’ experience in delivering successful destinations and is a leading spokesperson for London’s West End.  

In March 2022, she secured Heart of London Business Alliance another five-year mandate, with 99% of businesses voting in support, making it the first BID to achieve five simultaneous ballot wins as well as the first BID in the UK to run a property owner and occupier ballot concurrently. (Heart of London now operates four of only five property owner BIDs within the UK).  

Her areas of expertise combine place management, campaigning for strategic change and cultural activations. She advocated for Heart of London’s members during the pandemic, calling on the Government to provide critical support for businesses that were struggling to survive. She continues to represent members at a local, regional and national level, ensuring that the West End maintains its place as the pre-eminent destination to live, work and visit. To get in touch with Ros, please email: [email protected] .

Deputy Chief Executive

Mark Williams is the Deputy Chief Executive of Heart of London Business Alliance and sits at the forefront of raising HOLBA’s profile . Previously Director of Destination at HOLBA, Mark has a career spanning over 17 year s in the field of events, festivals, international touring, and management of evening nighttime economy venues across London & UK .  

Mark leads on all aspects concerning the West End as a destination, including strategic international marketing and event campaigns, development of the cultural, tourism, ENTE, and placemaking strategies, the data and insights team, and inward investment. As part of this role, he sits on the London Tourism Recovery Board, advising on London’s recovery post-Covid-19 pandemic. To get in touch with Mark, please email: [email protected] .

Director of Company Operations

As the Director of Company Operations, it is Robin’s job to ensure we are delivering value to our members through a number of key projects and services. Robin takes overall accountability for the operational performance, company management and corporate governance. Robin works closely with key partners to deliver the Heart of London’s priorities in terms of public realm improvement. To get in touch with Robin, please email: [email protected] .

Director of Marketing and Communications

Kirsty leads the strategy for both corporate and consumer marketing and communication. She also oversees all events and activations for the Heart of London Business Alliance and its consumer brands, including Art of London and Discover Leicester Square.

Kirsty is well-connected in the Westminster BID world, having spent over a decade working for BIDs in central London. Her work has included high-profile public realm projects, renewal ballot campaigns, large-scale events, rebrands, and generating commercial opportunities. She brings a wealth of industry experience and knowledge to HOLBA, her team, and the wider team. To get in touch with Kirsty, please contact: [email protected]

Head of Company Management

As Head of Company Management, Rico leads the Engagement Team that delivers vital, day-to-day engagement with our BID members. Rico also leads on the BID ballot process, which include renewals and expansion areas. Additionally, Rico is also responsible for many areas that help the smooth running of the company, including HR, health and safety, IT and office management. Finally, Rico supports our Director of Company Management on elements of our street based operational team. To get in touch with Rico, please email: [email protected] .

Head of Finance

Jeremy manages all company financial matters including the day-to-day financial management of the business, legal BID agreements, BID levy data and collection, budget management, plus accounts payable and receivable, and financial planning. To get in touch with Jeremy, please email:  [email protected] .

Company Management Executive

Katie manages Ros’ diary and supports on day-to-day company matters such as office management, HR, health and safety, and finance.  She also supports on Heart of London’s sustainability projects, assisting businesses in reducing their energy consumption. To g et in touch with Katie, please email [email protected] .  

Street Manager

Ali is the street manager for Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus. Ali monitors cleansing, highways and neighbourhood problems, identifying things that have an impact on the environment and our businesses. If you would like to speak to Ali, please call 07715 100953 or email: [email protected] . 

Head of Strategic Relations

With over 30 years’ experience developing strategic partnerships, Angela works with key stakeholders to maximise Heart of London Business Alliance’s influence and impact, and to creatively drive projects forward.   Angela leads Heart of London’s involvement in the West End Investment and Curation programme in association with Westminster Council, London and Partners and major property owners. To get in touch with Angela, please  email: [email protected] . 

Head of Business Support & Engagement

Dean leads on Heart of London’s business support and engagement, particularly amongst Property Owners in the proposed St James’s area working with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver members key priorities. To get in touch with Dean please email [email protected]

Placemaking Projects Manager

Matt advises on and leads Heart of London’s programmes to deliver better public spaces, cycling and walking routes across the West End and improve the area’s sustainability, in particular contributing to London’s net zero carbon targets. Key projects in the pipeline include Charing Cross Road, St Martin’s Lane, Green Park and Piccadilly Gateway and the creation of a new Arts Quarter. To get in touch with Matt, please contact: [email protected] .  

Special Projects Advisor

Dan advises on and leads Heart of London’s programmes to deliver better public spaces, cycling and walking routes across the West End and improve the area’s sustainability, in particular contributing to London’s net zero carbon targets. Key projects in the pipeline include Charing Cross Road, St Martin’s Lane, Green Park and Piccadilly Gateway and the creation of a new Arts Quarter. To get in touch with Dan, please contact: [email protected] .  

Data and Insights Manager

Matt manages and maintains data sources and structures within the company, ensuring the company has immediate access to relevant and good quality information. To get in touch with Matt, please email:  [email protected] .

Senior Engagement Manager

Bob leads our engagement team, with an aspiration to get to know all our businesses from shop floor to CEO. He works across our departments, as well as with stakeholders and partners, to find solutions to your problems and to ensure you get the most out of your relationship with Heart of London. To get in touch with Bob, please call 07715 100910 or email: [email protected] . 

Engagement Executive

Lily is one of our Engagement Executives. She works alongside Bob and Emmanuel to ensure businesses have a strong and ongoing relationship with Heart of London and are continuously supported in finding solutions to their issues. To get in touch with Lily, please call 07719 065294 or email: [email protected] .

Emmanuel is one of our Engagement Executives. He works alongside Bob and Lily to ensure businesses have a strong and ongoing relationship with Heart of London and are continuously supported in finding solutions to their issues. To get in touch with Emmanuel, please call 07719 065294 or email: [email protected] .

Interim Head of Company Communications and Public Affairs

Antonia leads on the public affairs and advocacy strategy, engaging with members, policy-makers and other stakeholders. She also oversees all of HOLBA’s corporate communications and events programme.  She previously worked for the tourist boards for Kent and Hertfordshire, travel trade association UKinbound and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. To get in touch, contact [email protected]

Engagement Manager

Nadia is part of our E ngagement team, working closely with all businesses in the proposed St James’s expansion area. She is also working with our C ommunications team to oversee all ballot communications, marketing and event engagement. To get in touch with Nadia, please email [email protected] .  

Destination Marketing Manager

Emma manages the social and digital activity across our three consumer brands, elevating perceptions of the destinations through digital promotion of events and installations, as well as supporting members through the promotion of their own ongoing activity and promotions. To get in touch with Emma, please email: [email protected] .

Activations and Partnerships Manager

Colleen manages the execution and delivery of all our Heart of London public realm art activations, events and partnership management. By coordinating and overseeing the delivery of these stand out must-visit initiatives, they aim to help elevate specific areas and raise destination identities to continue promoting the West End as London’s heart of entertainment. To get in touch with Colleen, please email: [email protected] . 

Destination Marketing Executive

Ayla supports the consumer marketing team across all BID areas, with a focus on all digital activities. She also aids the team on B2C campaigns and activations, including planning and implementation. Additionally, she assists members by promoting their ongoing activities and promotions. To get in touch with Ayla, please email  [email protected] .

Events & Partnerships Manager

Abigail manages Heart of London’s Partnerships & Events programme, ensuring it reflects our key areas of focus and strategic priorities. She also manages the Heart of London Club employee engagement scheme, bringing exclusive offers and experiences to the employees of member businesses, incentivising spending within the local area. To get in touch, contact Abigail at: [email protected] .

Corporate Communications Manager

Rachel works on producing and collating content for our member communications and supports the wider team with a range of activity. She also supports the management of the Heart of London Club employee engagement scheme. To get in touch with Rachel, please contact:  [email protected].

Flight attendant shares exactly what happens before you board the plane

If you've ever what happens in the day of a flight attendant on a long-haul flight, here it is

• 01:47, 12 SEP 2024

Want the best food, film, music, arts and culture news sent straight to your inbox?

We have more newsletters

A flight attendant has shared exactly what she does in a day - and it's safe to say it's non-stop hard work. Grace, aka gracehlondon on TikTok, shared her day in the life of a flight attendant video from the moment she wakes up to the minute she hits the hay.

The i nternational flight attendant is often seen on long-haul flights - and today, she is on a long flight to Orlando, Florida in the USA. With her 40,000 feet in the air and hours ahead of the UK, here is what she, and the crew, get up to.

Day in the life of a flight attendant

Arrival and bus transefer

Grace arrives to work at 12:15pm and gets parked up. Next, she grabs a bus to the terminal at 12:30pm

Grabbing snacks

After the short five minute trip, she grabs snacks at 12:35pm from M&S Food with hand-cooked M&S crisps, apples and a mini Victoria sponge her go to choice.

After security

After passing through security, she meets her girls at 12:50pm for some food.

Preparing for the flight

At 1:50pm, the team gets briefed on the flight and discusses servicing.

Boarding time and security checks

At 2pm, they all board the plane, getting ready for the passengers. Then at 2:10pm, they do their security checks before people step on the plane.

Having welcomed their passengers on at 2:20pm, they are now in the sky at 2:52pm. She also notes that the crew have set their watches five hours ahead of the time in the UK due to them heading to Orlando.

The first service

The first service takes place at 11am - or 4pm UK time. There's a lot that goes into this with Grace uploading multiple videos of her working in the galley, preparing meals and generally being in charge of the section. So from flight to flight it seems her role can vary.

Grace's lunch - and sleep

Grace takes her first break at 12pm for lunch, an hour after her first service to the passengers. Admiring the view outside, she then head to bed to get some rest between 2:35pm and 5:10pm.

In this area, it is quite small, and you can't sit up or stand in it when you are in bed. Grace like to go on her iPad for a while before trying to sleep. However, she couldn't sleep so she decided to get up and get refreshed to head back out to the aisles again at 5pm.

With her make-up freshly applied and hair sorted, Grace then prepared for landing at 6:40pm. Getting her heels back on, the plane lands at 7:15pm. In total, the flight time was eight hours and 39 minutes.

Responding to people in the comments, Grace says this is the "best job I’ve ever had!" and one person was even on her flight. They wrote: "You were on my flight back from Orlando the other week and were amazing. I had my six week old on the plane and I remember you being so nice about her and coming over."

In response Grace said: "Ohhhh! Row 26! There were loads of you?! Your baby is absolutely gorgeous and you did amazing on the flight with her!"

• Most Recent