Sadiq Khan launches £7m global campaign to promote London and counter online disinformation
Sadiq Khan has announced a new £7 million international campaign to promote London across major global markets and push back against online disinformation that City Hall says is damaging confidence in the capital.
The campaign, which will be delivered by London & Partners, will launch in September and target audiences across Europe, the United States and Asia. It is designed to boost tourism, attract investment and showcase what the Mayor describes as the very best of London.
Khan announced the initiative during a trade mission to Singapore and Tokyo, where he is promoting London as a place to invest and strengthening cultural links with key international partners. As part of the launch, he unveiled a 203-foot digital billboard at Suntec Singapore, one of Asia’s leading convention and exhibition venues.
City Hall says the campaign comes at a time when false and misleading narratives about London are being widely circulated online through coordinated networks operating across multiple countries. Research published alongside the announcement found that Japanese and Chinese-language social media accounts have been amplifying narratives originating from the UK’s extreme right-wing. In some months, more than 15,000 posts in Japanese were shared on X claiming London was lawless or under Islamic governance.
The research also found examples of English-language anti-Islam and anti-immigration content being translated and reposted through multiple accounts in a coordinated format designed to generate engagement. One widely circulated example involved a US Embassy security alert being falsely presented as proof that “London has fallen.” Another used AI-generated imagery to claim that millions of people attended a Unite The Kingdom rally.
Researchers said verified accounts can present a particular challenge when they appear to operate as news outlets while distributing misleading content that attracts large audiences. Separate research carried out by the Greater London Authority earlier this year found that hostile narratives describing London as dangerous or in decline have increased by between 150 and 200 per cent over the past two years.
That research identified a Vietnam-based Facebook network consisting of at least 42 pages with a combined following of around 1.25 million users. It also found evidence of activity linked to extreme right-wing networks, pro-Kremlin groups, pro-Beijing groups, Maga-aligned communities and content farms operating in Sri Lanka and Nigeria.
The Mayor’s office argues that tackling misinformation is important for London’s international reputation and economic success. Tourism contributes more than £41 billion to London’s economy every year and accounts for more than a quarter of all tourism jobs across the country.
The campaign will promote London’s heritage, culture, creativity and business strengths in overseas markets. It follows another year of international recognition for the capital. Last month, Time Out named London the best city in the world for culture, citing its museums, cultural venues and year-round events programme. Earlier this year, London was awarded the 2026 World City Prize in recognition of its achievements in urban development, innovation and leadership.
According to City Hall, the international campaign will begin in September with activity across prominent locations in key global markets, presenting London as a city that continues to evolve while remaining a leading destination for culture, tourism, trade and investment.
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