The mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, has announced a three-year plan to 'bring new leadership, more investment and a new structure to London's tourism industry.'

Livingstone said the tourism industry had suffered for too long from a lack of strategic direction: 'The tourism industry is of immense value to the London economy, and I intend this new plan, 'Visit London', to maximise those benefits for the capital.'

Key elements of the three-year plan include a major drive to remarket London, kicking off with a pre-Christmas marketing campaign; the appointment of Tamara Ingram, chair and chief executive of advertising agency McCann Erickson, as chair of the LTB; extra public funding with a total of £7m being spent over the next two years through the London Development Agency; a new company to market London as a tourism destination; plans for an international convention centre; providing more affordable hotel accommodation and development of training and skills of hospitality and leisure staff. Details: www.london.gov.uk