Those balmy Mediterranean summers... Photograph: Adrian Dennis/EPA
A certain group of tourists have been staying away from London recently. But it's not, as many people would have you believe, Americans terrified by wild-eyed Islamic militants roaming the streets of Londonistan. In fact, the number of foreign visitors to London in 2005 topped 14 million, up nearly 7% from 2004. Instead, Visit London has revealed that it is the British who have stopped visiting London - figures for domestic tourists were down around 6% in 2005 compared to 2004.
Visit London says that British tourists are being lured away by cheap flights to foreign destinations, rather than any fears over terrorism. So what have Visit London thrust forward to distract Britons from the lure of Barcelona, Paris and Rome? Well, they're promoting romantic weekends, cultural tours and London's vast array of restaurants. But outshining even these gems, Visit London has decided to promote the Oyster card, a swipe card that can be used on buses and tubes: "London is a global leader in transport technology and Oyster is the glue which holds together a successful trip," says Visit London's chief executive James Bidwell.
Now, while the Oyster card is quite exciting as far as swipe cards go, offers good discounts on single journeys and makes you feel a little bit futuristic the first few times you use it, it doesn't make the tube any less crowded at rush hour and it certainly doesn't hold the appeal of, say, the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum.
Still, it's not just Visit London who have nominated some odd choices for London's top attractions. The Lonely Planet Cities Book compliments London for its Mediterranean summers, something that isn't borne out by the statistics. Even more surprising is their championing of Magic FM, where the threat of the latest Craig David single is never far away.
All of which raises the question, if listening to MOR radio on a cold August day, Oyster card in hand, isn't one of London's highlights, what is?
