Visit Greenwich
Credit: Timothy Soar
Credit: Luke Dyson
Greenwich - from survival mode to summer of hope
No matter how blessed a city is with attractions and must-see sights, when a pandemic strikes and lockdowns ensue, tourism and hospitality grinds to a halt.
A
s Barrie Kelly, CEO of Visit Greenwich, explains - local businesses in the borough suffered greatly and for the last few years many have been in survival mode.
Visit Greenwich, along with its partners, has worked hard to support local firms, detailing grants and support packages available and making it easier to access funding at both national and local level. Thankfully as lockdowns have been lifted a sense of normality has returned to Greenwich and visitors are returning to appreciate all this historic area has to offer. Is it a case of business as usual or is anything different post-Covid?
12
According to Kelly there was, understandably, an increased focus on local (or at least UK-based) visitors when airports were closed and the overseas market dried up. “With the numbers down significantly those more local to the area saw Greenwich in a different light. We have continued to focus strongly (post-Covid) on this domestic market and those favouring a ‘staycation’ in the summer months.” He adds that from a sustainability perspective, attracting visitors from closer to home (who do not leave a hefty carbon footprint via long-haul flights) has much to recommend it. Another challenge is to encourage those who traditionally visit central London’s major sites to venture a bit further east and see what Greenwich and its surrounding towns have to offer.
© Crossrail Ltd, Grant Pritchard, CDS
TRANSPORT TRANSFORMATION The big game changer for many attractions in the borough is the improved transport links from central London – notably the Elizabeth Line tube. “The development of the Elizabeth Line has been transformational for the area and it is in addition to existing good links via National Rail, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and river boat services,” Kelly explains. A rejuvenated Woolwich has been an obvious beneficiary of the improved transport offered. There has been major investment in the old Woolwich market areas, and the town is now a thriving venue for bars and restaurants, tempting visitors with a diverse mix of food and drink. Standout attractions include Woolwich Works – which Kelly describes as being like a big Ronnie Scott’s. As a live venue, it provides music, comedy and poetry – showcasing talent from all over the world. Punchdrunk's The Burnt City, a richly designed, inventively choreographed immersive experience about gods and monsters, has been a hit with tickets selling fast. Those who remember Woolwich’s cultural hub of the early 1990s, The Tramshed, will be pleased to see it back up and running and ready for a refurb.
