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.

As 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? 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.

❛❛While visitors to Greenwich from the US, France and Germany have recently joined UK tourists, and are already double what they were last year, they are still 30% below what they were pre-Covid.❜❜

Credit: Nathan Turner

While Kelly concedes that there is still a long way to go in terms of investing and developing the town centre itself, these live venues, bars and restaurants have breathed new life into Woolwich. He also explains how these attractions compliment what is offered elsewhere in the borough. “The cable car on the Greenwich Peninsula which has enjoyed a record year, really appeals to youngsters taking selfies on TikTok. The live venues really appeal to millennials, whereas The World Heritage sites have more appeal to foreign visitors.” One of the few positives from enforced closures during Covid was that they did provide a chance to upgrade some of Greenwich's historic attractions. For instance, at the Old Royal Naval College, the Nelson Room was developed during the pandemic. Other recent projects include the opening of The Cutty Sark Rig Climb Experience. For the first time since arriving in Greenwich in 1954, visitors to Cutty Sark are now able to climb the famous ship's masts and enjoy views over the Thames and London, before abseiling back down to earth. The Nelson Room

FROM SUMMER INTO WINTER

Greenwich – both the town and the borough – is set for a busy summer period but as Kelly points out, it is estimated to take until 2024 for visitor numbers to reach what they were in 2019. While visitors to Greenwich from the US, France and Germany have recently joined UK tourists, and are already double what they were last year, they are still 30% below what they were pre-Covid. Kelly is confident visitor numbers will continue to rise and new ideas will continue to attract people outside of the busier summer months. “There are plans in place to light up the town centre streets and increase the number of winter events. The Queen’s House ice rink, with some of the best views in London is coming back, which is great news.” The future looks bright for Greenwich but there is one challenge that is not going away any time soon for local businesses in the hospitality industry – and that is recruitment. Kelly elaborates: “The hospitality industry has had the double whammy of Brexit and Covid. A lot of people left the country as a result of both and while many industries © Julian Abrams

are finding it hard, the pressure in the hospitality sector is particularly acute.” The job vacancies are across the board, from trained chefs and kitchen staff to hotel cleaners and caterers. Supply chain disruption is making life difficult too. Kelly concedes that there is some benefit here for local suppliers – who may be more expensive but are far more accessible and using more local produce is good news from a sustainability perspective. He stresses that events have not been cancelled due to staffing issues and there is no problem with demand for hospitality – it is just finding the right people to ensure businesses can run at maximum capacity. Let’s hope by 2024 when visitor numbers are projected to be back to pre-Covid levels, local businesses have been able to source staff with the skill sets they need to deliver to the highest standard.

www.visitgreenwich.org.uk