Mayor Sadiq Khan halted New York traffic today with the help of the Broadway cast of the hit musical Six! The queens performed a number from the now Tony Award-nominated show alongside a formal presentation of the Coldstream Guards, an installation of an iconic red phone booth and a vintage black London cab, as the largest international tourism campaign ever seen is launched to attract global visitors back to London.
Prior to the pandemic, London was the third most visited city on the planet, with a thriving tourism sector accounting for as many as one in five jobs in London and contributing almost 12 per cent of the city’s gross domestic product. The theatre industry is incredibly proud to serve our domestic and international audiences alike, so it was wonderful to have British composers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ historemixed pop-concert musical, Six, featured at the launch. If you haven’t seen it yet – grab tickets here.
The new Let’s Do London campaign aims to inspire travellers to choose London for their next trip by shining a spotlight on the city’s unparalleled range of theatre, attractions and exhibitions. Neil Constable, CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe, said: “We were proud to host Sadiq at Shakespeare’s Globe for his signing in as Mayor of London, and to be now playing an active part in the recovery of the UK’s cultural sector. This campaign is a fantastic way to get the message out that London is open and has so much to offer. Our outdoor Globe Theatre is fully open for our Summer Shakespeare season and ready to welcome back international visitors to enjoy world-class theatre, our award-winning Guided Tour, and of course the Thames-side Swan Bar & Restaurant. Our American founder, Sam Wanamaker, and our American founders would be so proud to see the Globe continuing to be at the heart of London’s offer to the world.”
From New York, Sadiq will be travelling to San Francisco and Los Angeles to strengthen economic and cultural ties and drive investment between London and the United States.
This is the Mayor’s first major international visit since the pandemic started and represents a significant milestone of his work to promote London to tourists, business, entrepreneurs and students.