Perfectly coinciding with the U.K. announcing easing travel restrictions for Americans starting October 4 and the U.S. announcing that vaccinated travelers from many international destinations will be welcome starting November, NoteWorthy and a cohort of 13 London luxury hotels welcomed a group of 40 luxury travel advisors from Virtuoso for a weekend packed full of experiences and events showcasing the best of London.
Arriving this past Friday, the days were full with visits to London’s hotels to see renovations, including the new Gucci suite at The Savoy Hotel, a preview of the massive room renovation at Claridge’s, and a look at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, which had just completed a full refurbishment before lockdown, plus lunches at Brown's Hotel, Corinthia London, The Dorchester and Shangri-La The Shard, dinner parties at the Rosewood London and The Langham, and late-night cocktails at The Berkeley and Four Seasons.
As for experiencing the culture and historical sites, NoteWorthy—a London-based DMC—literally rolled out the red carpet: The calvary was on hand for breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park with the chance to feed the horses, followed by a private tour and special viewing of the changing of the guard with Andrew Wallis, curator of The Guards Museum. Other options included private tours at HMS Belfast, Shakespeare’s Globe, Churchill War Rooms, seeing Princess Diana’s dresses at Kensington Palace, London Underground, and even a Street Art Masterclass inspired by Banksy.
“The pent-up demand is real but international travel is determined by policy at the moment,” said Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, just after enjoying feeding the cavalry horses in Hyde Park behind the Mandarin Oriental. Optimistically, he noted, “In my 37 years in the business, I’ve never seen a disruption like this one where owners and operators have had the money and time to make investments. I’ve been blown away by what I am seeing in London. Luxury travelers are going to come back to properties that are in the best shape ever.” Based on his visits over the weekend, he added, “London has the most amazing and diverse luxury hotel product––a great mix of beautiful tradition and fun, creative elements.”
Virtuoso worked closely with NoteWorthy, Strategic Vision and VisitBritain on the weekend’s agenda, which culminated in a press conference with a personal welcome from Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex (the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Phillip), performances by actresses from the hit show, Six, which also just opened on Broadway, and panel discussions.
“London has always been a major lure for America’s affluent travelers, but there are arguably more reasons to visit than ever in 2021 and looking ahead to 2022 with significant upcoming events including The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, with a number of celebratory events being held in the capital,” said Sally Balcome, CEO of VisitBritain at the press conference Monday.
Joining on the panel was Sir Rocco Forte, chairman of Forte Hotels, Matthew Upchurch of Virtuoso, and in her first appearance as president and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), Julia Simpson.
Given the news of borders opening and loosening of COVID-19 restrictions on both sides of the Atlantic, panelists were quite optimistic about the pending rebound but remain dismayed at the lack of government representation. “In Italy, where we have hotels, tourism represents 13 percent of the economy and has a minister representing our interests,” said Forte. “We do not have that in the U.K., despite tourism bringing in about 10 percent of the revenue for the country.”
On a second panel discussion, Nica Burns, CEO of Nimax theaters was bubbling with enthusiasm for returning visitors, “Our theaters have been open and safely welcoming 40,000 visitors a week for months, we have so many shows literally with something for everyone from drama to musicals."
Nicola Butler, the owner of NoteWorthy, commented, “Advisors have seen and experienced that London is open for business. They’ve felt the warm welcome and felt how excited the locals are to see U.S. visitors.” She continued, “We hope they will now spread the word and can reassure clients that they can be safely fast-tracked, go behind the scenes, and access the inaccessible.”
curator of The Guards Museum. (Photo by Emily Goldfischer)
Between events, we chatted with Stephanie Fisher, advisor at Huffman Travel, who remarked, “Seeing and sharing these incredible London experiences has been amazing. I can now tell my clients how easy it was to get through the airport, do the necessary testing, and see the sights. Meeting my clients’ beloved NoteWorthy guides has also been incredible, everyone has been so welcoming.”
According to NoteWorthy and Virtuoso, U.S. travelers are Britain’s most valuable inbound tourism market. In 2019 American travelers:
- Accounted for £4.2 billion (approximately $5.7 billion) in spend throughout the U.K.
- Were No. 1 for visitor arrivals
- Represented 11 percent of total inbound tourism to the U.K., about 4.5 million visitors
- Accounted for approximately three million visitors specifically to London
Cignpost Diagnostics provided all the testing for the group, who were tested in Heathrow Airport. “We offer dedicated services to travelers, and we’re up to date on all the latest regulations,” said Lois Wallis, senior business development manager of Cignpost. She is the contact for luxury advisors and can be reached at lois.wallis@cignpostdiagnostics.com.
During the course of the weekend, the excitement was palpable...Britain is more than ready to welcome back Americans.
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