Houses of Parliament

The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) has just put out the following statement about the riots in London.

“Events like these have occurred in Western cities such as LA, Madrid and Paris.  Those in the UK are abnormal, and so newsworthy, even this August. But they have been largely confined to secondary shopping centres in the suburbs. No iconic landmarks have been affected. So long as the damage is contained outside of central London, then there will be little long-term impact on demand for London as a tourist destination.

ETOA members handle tens of thousands of visitors to London. So far none have been caught up in the current problems. London is still one of the safest and most vibrant tourism destinations in the world.

What is most striking about these events is the restraint displayed by the British police.  The care shown for human life over that of property is deeply impressive: a positive image of a nation’s institutional ability to cope with adversity.”

In response to the question, “Will this impact the Olympics?” Tom Jenkins, ETOA’s Executive Director said: “No. The Olympics is, overwhelmingly, a domestic event.  British people won’t be put off from visiting the Olympics in Stratford because a year earlier shop windows were broken in Hackney.”