Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of The British Hospitality Association (BHA) – which represents over 40,000 hospitality establishments in the UK, said: “The BHA has high expectations of the new Mayor of London and Assembly members.
“London is the world’s most-visited capital city, generating over £36 billion in tourism revenue and £14bn Gross Value Added by the Hospitality industry. Our businesses employ one in ten Londoners. However, international rivalry is intense and we cannot take our competitiveness for granted.
“It’s not just our pubs, restaurants, hotels, serviced apartments, events, food service, clubs and attractions who have high expectations of the new Mayor. It’s also the retailers, services, manufacturers, transport and construction industries whose success is interlinked with ours. The Hospitality industry’s success is integral to that of London.
“We want the Mayor to champion our ongoing industry/GLA programmes on food, jobs, apprenticeships and skills. We also want the Mayor’s urgent attention on a number of outstanding decisions including – protecting visitors and Londoners by ensuring the enforcement of fire and safety regulations for online home rental companies.”