Wednesday 13 July: This week, we were delighted to welcome the Chicago mayoral team for a walking tour of the West End.

This was Mayor Lightfoot’s first official visit to London alongside a delegation of senior officials, with a view to learn about various aspects of London’s approach to building a sustainable and inclusive recovery from the pandemic, including in retail and tourism, and harnessing the potential of internationally famous districts such as the West End.

The tour included stops at British institutions, known for their heritage and unique identity, which are renowned with the West End, including tea at Fortnum and Masons, a visit to the Royal Academy of Arts.

Culture was high on the agenda, and the delegation were interested to understand how longstanding institutions are now making art and culture more accessible to new audiences, through recent initiatives that have seen public art displayed throughout the streets. We were delighted to highlight the roll of digital displays in Piccadilly Circus and the statues that form the Scenes in the Square exhibition, as great examples of how partnerships can redefine a destination identity and engage the public, driving post-pandemic recovery.

We look forward to continuing the conversation and welcoming Samir Mayekar, Deputy Mayor – Economic and Neighborhood Development to our ‘What Makes a World Class Destination’ series on Thursday 8 September.