There’s been a drop in the number of tourists in London lately. In fact last year, tourism was down by 7.3 per cent compared with 2019 and I have a feeling that this year is even worse.
I’m not surprised — the cost of virtually everything has spiked in the past couple of years; all we see in the press is doom and gloom. You can no longer get a half-decent hotel for less than £200 a night, even when booking in advance. Your average restaurant meal sets a family of four back at least £100 and let’s not even start on the activities!
I mean, we are so lucky to live in a city with as many free-entry museums and beautiful parks as we have but you should be prepared to pay an arm and a leg for anything else. It feels as though, since the inflation crisis began a couple of years ago, we’ve simply not been able to keep things under control.
With that, while still busy, the city feels noticeably easier to get around than previous summers. Restaurants aren’t packed out. The streets aren’t heaving. This issue of costs obviously goes for us Londoners too and I’m not entirely sure how we’re supposed to keep our chins up anymore.
If all we hear is how there’s violence on the streets and thefts are up, do you really expect visitors to feel good?
What with Keir Starmer’s announcement about tax hikes this week, it looks like the end to price increases is nowhere in sight yet. Add to that the decision to increase the price cap on gas and electricity again and we can expect people to continue to be very careful with their spending.
Up and down the country, we’re experiencing the same issues. What with the turmoil that’s been happening lately and the way certain publications have been exacerbating everything, the rhetoric is probably putting tourists off from visiting. Has there been an upturn in fortune these past couple of weeks? Yes! But, if all we hear is how there’s violence on the streets, thefts are up, immigrants “aren’t welcome”, everything is so expensive, do you really expect a potential visitor to feel like they’d be welcomed into the country with open arms? I mean, come on…
I’d like to sit here telling you all that this is the opportunity to take a staycation and keep the spending within the UK but when you know you’re faced with frankly unbelievably high rail fares and congestion on highways for one reason or another it’s difficult to do that.
Let’s hope the Government manages to do something to keep costs to the consumer under control in future, otherwise a lot of us will end up going about as far as the corner shop and back for our holidays. This country is stunning and has so much to offer, and if you plan it right, isn’t as expensive as a fancy European destination.
Speaking of which, over in Europe, there’s a bit of a revolt against tourists. Hundreds of locations, from Gran Canaria to Berlin, are seeing locals demanding that some sort of limit is put on tourism. Over-saturation has meant local people — local servers, retail workers, police officers and even doctors can’t afford to rent because landlords would rather rent their places out to tourists or expats earning a lot more money. In fact, it’s evident that’s happening in London too and I find it ridiculous! How are we supposed to continue to be provided the services we’re accustomed to if we can’t even ensure those people providing said services have the bare essentials? It’s not reported an awful lot over here but protests in Ibiza, Maspalomas, and countless other tourist-heavy cities are happening all the time and governments aren’t doing anything about it.
The funny thing is that the overpricing I mentioned in London is happening everywhere. So while companies like Airbnb are doing well by offering more economical solutions, hotels are seeing lower occupancy rates. Some hotels are actually having to accommodate staff members due to housing shortages. I’ve travelled often for work this summer, and Ibiza and the Greek islands are clearly having one of the quietest seasons I can remember.
Only weekends see packed-out clubs and just like London, most restaurants are barely ticking along and that has to do with how expensive everything is.
I realise I’ve spoken about the aftermath of Covid before (and all the other grimness that’s been going on) but it really feels like a giant shift needs to be made. Those with plenty, be it corporations or individuals, need to make sacrifices and help those with little. No more greed, no more twisting the system to make more money than you could ever spend. Balance needs to be restored and that needs to happen for the sake of the people.
Track of the week: Believe in a Brighter Day — Platinum Doll, PY Anderson, Micky More & Andy
