The images of disruption in England have spread around the world causing alarm in many origin markets for Britain. But this has not resulted in any significant drop in immediate visitor numbers,” according to European Tour Operators Association (EOTA), said.
ETOA members had over 38,000 people staying in hotels in London on Wednesday the 10th of August. By 11th August they had received 330 cancellations for the forthcoming week. On the basis that these people would have stayed two nights, this represents 660 missing bed-nights throughout the week or barely 95 cancellations per night. Notwithstanding a couple of student groups choosing to defer their arrival, a cancellation rate of 0.17 per cent is below the threshold of background cancellation. People cancel for a myriad of reasons; the disturbances have, for now, proved as significant a factor as having a sick dog or flooding the bathroom.
Some of the individual cancellations are now rebooking. London remains safe for tourists. And tourists understand that London remains safe.