Conceptualising the Expansion of Destination London: Some Conclusions

This chapter provides a conclusion to Destination London the book by identifying some of the common threads in the preceding chapters and by providing an overarching conceptualisation that represents how tourism expands in city destinations. Three main types of expansion are outlined: spatial, conceptual and temporal. The first of these categories incorporates ways that tourism colonises new territories, including how new destinations are created in the periphery around key nodes such as airports and sports stadia. Spatial expansion is also achieved by opening up new vantage points - from new high rise structures or by opening up riverside areas. These physical changes allow central districts to be consumed from a different perspective. Conceptual expansion occurs when tourism penetrates new spheres and secret worlds. In this book, the examples of peer to peer accommodation and tours led by homeless people are provided as insightful examples. Finally, tourism expands temporally – into the night and into the winter season – primarily through events which are ‘leveraged’ to ensure policy objectives are met. These events include new light festivals that are particularly suited to dark nights, but also more traditional festivities associated with the Christmas period. The chapter concludes with some key challenges facing London’s tourism sector.