While some parts of London have been held hostage by mass riots over the past three evenings the European Tour Operator Association (ETOA) claims this will not affect the UK’s tourism industry.
The violence broke out on Saturday night after an initially peaceful protest for a man who was shot dead by an armed police officer last Thursday.
Areas such as Tottenham, Hackney, Clapham, Peckham, Croydon and Lewisham were all targeted by angry mobs. Three nights of looting and destruction has followed with the burning of buildings, buses and other vehicles. Communities have been destroyed along with local residents’ homes and businesses.
Police officers attempted to tackle the problem but were attacked, leaving many injured. Over 450 people have already been arrested and 16,000 officers were deployed on Tuesday night.
The violence spread as copycat riots emerged in Birmingham, Bristol and Liverpool. However, those visiting Britain should not be concerned as ETOA’s Executive Director Tom Jenkins points out.
“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.”
The ETOA claims that London is still “one of the safest and most vibrant tourism destinations in the world.”
The riots do not appear to have affected flights from the various airports within London.
(Image: hughe)
