Destination London: An Expanding Visitor Economy

This chapter provides an introduction to tourism in London by examining the significance of the visitor economy and by tracing the evolution of tourism development in the city. The chapter provides a foundation for the rest of the book by contextualizing Destination London within contemporary debates regarding overtourism and the noted expansion of tourism activity in European cities. The discussion includes a historical review of tourism development in London and a synopsis of contemporary trends and statistics. The chapter also outlines the ways tourism policy and institutional responsibility for tourism have evolved. One of the key aims of the chapter is to explain the particular focus on tourism expansion, and in outlining the structure of the book, this chapter suggests different ways that London tourism has been extended – into new territories, into new spheres and into new time frames. To situate the book within the existing literature, there is also a review of existing academic work on tourism in London. Several key texts are identified and summarised, but the chapter argues that there has been a relative lack of focus on London’s tourism sector in the academic literature – a deficiency which belies the social and economic significance of London’s tourism sector. This provides a key justification for the book and the ten chapters that follow.