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London notes: American tourists abandoning the city
I've been in London not much more than an hour and I've already spent $61.74.The breakdown went something like this:
- $31.62 -- Stansted Express from Stansted Airport to London Liverpool Station (one way, 45 minutes)
- $24.18 -- Oyster Card purchase for London Underground, plus $10 in ride credit (good for 5-8 rides on Underground)
- $5.95 -- One pint of bitter at the pub where I now write this
Still, the sheer expense of doing anything in London beyond strolling through museums is enough to make you think twice about visiting.
For me, this is a shame, this slight anxiety I get before every trip here, knowing as I do that I am going to part with some serious cash. London is a city I want to keep within my steady European rotation, a place with which I've long had an affiliation: I lived here for three years as a kid; it's the birthplace of my brother; some of my earliest experiences as a traveler were had rediscovering the city as an adult.
According to the Associated Press, Americans in general are abandoning Britain these days, largely due to the weak dollar, which has made quick hops over the pond more costly than ever.
The AP says American tourists numbers are down 120,000 from this time last year. That's not an insignificant number: The British government estimates that those lower numbers translates to about $650 million in lost revenue.
I should point out that it's not just Americans who are thinking twice about London and the rest of the UK. The British government says overall tourist numbers are down 5 percent in the last year.
Right now 1 GBP is worth about $1.85.
I would continue my lament, but my friend is currently looking through the Internet and asking my thoughts for a restaurant tonight. I can almost hear my wallet now, protesting...
Filed under: United Kingdom
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Artem Aug 20th 2008 3:46PM
Actually, it should be the opposite. 1 GBP is $1.85, not the other way around. ;) Ah, but we can always wish. :-p
Asa Aug 20th 2008 4:23PM
The Oyster card example is a little misleading. You pay 3 Pounds ($5.50) as a deposit for the card which you can get back when you return the card. So I don't see how you could spend $24.18 but only have $10 in ride credit. But I'm not disagreeing that London is expensive. On a trip there this summer it cost 65 Pounds ($120) for four people at an Indian Restaurant - and it wasn't even a fancy restaurant. On the other hand, all the museums are free...
Asa Aug 20th 2008 4:25PM
The Oyster card example is a little misleading. You pay 3 Pounds ($5.50) as a deposit for the card which you can get back when you return the card. So I don't see how you could spend $24.18 but only have $10 in ride credit. But I'm not disagreeing that London is expensive. On a trip there this summer it cost 70 Pounds ($130) for four people at an Indian Restaurant - and it wasn't even a fancy restaurant. On the other hand, all the museums are free...
jur777 Aug 20th 2008 10:22PM
Using the numbers given in the article, 120,000 less visitors equaling 650 million dollars = about $5400 per person. I've never spent more than $1000 in London. Are there really high spenders there? Where do they get those numbers?
Long Aug 24th 2008 8:43AM
on the oyster there's a Cap each day you travel. For zone 1 and 2 its £4.80 if you travel offpeak and £6.30 at peak times. So you you top up £6.30 you can travel whole day on both buses underground & DLR so no it won't cost you $24