New York to host Khan promoting London as leading destination
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is heading to New York for a series of meetings and events with global leaders to “bang the drum” for London as a place to invest, hold sporting events and promote the capital as an unrivalled destination for tourists.
The visit takes place during the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, where business leaders, politicians and major organisations converge on New York to discuss global issues including delivering economic prosperity and tackling climate change.
During his visit the mayor will promote London as an exceptional place to work and invest in, including meetings with Accordion, CLA Global, Salesforce and Thoropass. He will also use meetings to promote London as an unparalleled destination for sporting events and tourism. He will also be speaking at a number of high-profile events, including the Concordia Annual Summit, a global affairs forum that works to address the world’s most pressing needs, the Climate Pledge Summit and the NYC Climate Week Hub.
London faces stiff competition but is still the leading location globally for US businesses looking to expand overseas. Last year saw New York invest $1.7 billion into London climate start-ups and climate focused companies, with the capital the top city for foreign direct investment from the United States over the last 10 years, when compared to all other cities globally.
Around 3.5 million visits were made between the US and London in 2023, surpassing pre-Pandemic levels by 12 per cent. This week’s visit to the US follows the Mayor’s announcement last week that he plans to transform oxford street into a traffic-free pedestrianised avenue, encouraging even more tourists to come to central London, restoring the street as the leading retails destination in the world.
The mayor will also remind global leaders that now is the time to take firm action to tackle climate change. He will speak at New York Climate Week and at the Climate Pledge Summit emphasising how cities are at the forefront of climate action, with over half of the world’s population living in them and consuming 75per cent of global energy. The Mayor will highlight London’s bold initiatives and plans for the future including his commitment to make London rivers swimmable in ten years.
