Jubilee attracts two million to West End
SOME two million visitors flocked to the West End over the bank holiday weekend, as the capital went into full swing celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
Theatres, hotels, restaurants and retailers are together expected to have made more than £120m over the four-day weekend, according to the New West End company, which represents 600 firms in the area.
“Despite the slow start to spending for Saturday and Sunday, footfall rose by five per cent for the first bank holiday – Monday 4 June”, Jason Tyrrell, Director from New West End Company said.
He added: “Patriotic shoppers were lured to the West End on Saturday and Sunday to snap up a Jubilee bargain, from bunting for last minute street parties to anything red, white and blue.”
Fortnum & Mason, the iconic British store, said it served a staggering 3,000 glasses of champagne and 2,000 Highgrove burgers over the weekend while more than 3,500 guests visited the Ritz hotel for afternoon tea.
Businesses expect a steady growth in footfall for the rest of the week from both overseas visitors, particularly those from the Nordic countries as well as UK visitors taking advantage of the half term holiday period, Tyrrell added.