Destination London: The Expansion of the Visitor Economy
About this ebook
This book analyses how the capital is developing as a destination through the expansion of tourism and events into new urban spaces. The book outlines how parts of London not previously regarded as tourist territory are now subject to the visitor gaze with tourism spreading beyond established central zones into peripheral, suburban and residential areas – in part propelled by a big rise in peer to peer accommodation use. Simultaneously, London’s airports and sports stadiums and their surrounds are becoming destinations in their own right. New vantage points have been created, allowing tourists to explore the city: from above, at night-time or through tours given by the homeless; via the opening up of the River Thames; or through the transformation of local parks into eventscapes.
The book explores these trends and shows how urban destinations expand. In doing so, it enhances our understanding of London and highlights the growing significance of tourism and events in global cities.
About the author
Andrew Smith is a Reader in Tourism and Events at the University of Westminster, where he co-leads the Tourism and Events Research Group with Anne Graham. Andrew read Geography at the University of Cambridge before completing a PhD on city reimaging funded by both Universities in Sheffield. Since joining the University of Westminster in 2004 he has written extensively about urban tourism and supervised several PhD students working in this field. His research focuses on UK cities, but he has also published well-known papers on Barcelona, Oslo and Valletta. Andrew combines his work on urban tourism with a strong interest in city events and he has authored two books on this theme: Events and Urban Regeneration (Routledge, 2012) and Events in the City (Routledge, 2016).
Anne Graham is Professor of Air Transport and Tourism Management at the University of Westminster, where she co-leads the Tourism and Events Research Group with Andrew Smith. Before joining the University, Anne worked in air transport consultancy. She has two key research interests. The first is in airport management, economics and regulation. Her other research area is the analysis of tourism and aviation demand. She has published widely and her recent books include: Air Transport: A Tourism Perspective (2019); The Routledge Companion to Air Transport Management (2018); Managing Airports: An International Perspective (2018); Airport Finance and Investment in the Global Economy (2017); Aviation Economics (2016); Airport Marketing (2013); and Aviation and Tourism: Implications for Leisure Travel (2008).
