ATTACK NOT LIKELY TO HURT TOURISM
London should remain a strong draw for travelers, experts say in wake of terrorism
The terror attack in London came as security concerns have been growing worldwide — but the assault isn’t expected to damage tourism to the popular European destination.
The attack on famed Westminster Bridge in the shadow of Parliament drew worldwide headlines. British-born Khalid Masood killed four people including a U.S. tourist before being shot to death by police.
Despite the publicity and location in the heart of the capital, travel experts said they expected tourists to keep calm and carry on at a time of competitive airfares and a weak British pound.
“We do not expect this isolated incident to have an impact on people’s decision to travel to the country nor its capital,” said David Scowsill, CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council. “England and London specifically are very resilient tourism destinations.”
Security was already heightened worldwide because of scattered threats from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. The State Department issued a worldwide caution March 6 warning travelers to remain vigilant because of the “continuing threat of terrorist actions, political violence, and criminal activity against U.S. citizens and interests abroad.”
Indeed, the attack came a day after the United Kingdom banned travelers from bringing electronic devices in the cabins of 14 airlines flying non-stop from six airports in the Mideast and Africa. The ban followed a similar rule in the U.S.
But George Hobica, founder of airfarewatchdog.com, which helps travelers find travel deals, said the London attack “will have no long-term effect” on tourism after a possible temporary dip.
“After all, tourism is way up to London in the days since the IRA bombings. It always recovers,” Hobica said. “Any city could experience a similar attack, so I don’t think people will pull the blankets over their heads and stay quivering in bed.”
New York City had 145 pedestrian deaths for people hit by motor vehicles last year, according to the city police department.
“It’s a lot larger than any terrorist incident. And people still go about their business,” Hobica said. “The statistical chances of anything happening are so slim.”
Britain remains a perennial destination for tourists. Arrivals in Great Britain from the Americas totaled 4.73 million in 2015, up steadily from 4.18 million in 2011, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organization.
Travel spending more than doubled in the past two decades, to $62.8 billion in 2014, up from $27.6 billion in 1995, according to the World Bank.
This year is an advantageous time to visit. A glut of flights across the Atlantic has kept fares low. U.S. airlines have lamented low-cost competition from rivals in Europe such as Norwegian Air International. Despite the capacity, JetBlue Airways is studying whether to enter the fray.
Meanwhile, the currency of the pound has suffered since Britain voted last June to leave the European Union. A pound now costs about $1.25, down from $1.50 last June and $2 in 2007 before the recession.
“London is too enticing a city to keep people away,” Hobica said, with the cheap pound yielding cheaper hotels and meals. “People will still come.”
“London is too enticing a city to keep people away. People will still come.” George Hobica, founder of a website that helps travelers find deals on airfare