London to ensure fair prices for 2012 visitors
Tourists wil be protected from rip-off pricing thanks to a new regulation board
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It's not always the first place Brits think of taking a holiday. Yet with the Olympics on the horizon London will be even easier to reach, as Chris Malone reports. |
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The capital has been named among the top ten best-value places to go worldwide |
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Friday, 20, Nov 2009 05:39
Caravan enthusiasts spending a break in the vicinity of London over the next few years need not worry about being ripped off by unscrupulous traders looking to take advantage of the influx of visitors brought to the city by the Olympic Games.
This is because two organisations have pledged to team up to ensure that guests of the capital are not overcharged.
Visit Britain and VisitLondon have formed the Fair Pricing and Practice Charter, which is aimed at ensuring prices at the Olympics and Paralympics are fair.
It is the first time a host city has taken such a step and is likely to have benefits for visitors to the city before and after the event.
Meanwhile, VisitLondon, Visit Britain, the European Tour Operators Association and UKinbound will form a cooperative party in charge of designing a strategy to attract foreign nationals to the spectacle in 2012.
According to Tourism Alliance policy director Kurt Janson, the move is a positive one.
"One of the issues with a big event like the Olympics is it can scare away some of the tourism numbers you get per year," he said.
"Tourists often get scared by price hikes, crowds and lack of accommodation."