London bombs take toll on tourism

The findings came as little surprise

The number of visitors from abroad to London fell sharply in the wake of last July's bombings, official figures show.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) found a 2% fall to 3.7 million in the three months to September, compared to the previous year.

The drop contrasts with an average 12% increase in foreign visitor numbers in the two previous quarters.

The data confirmed what many commentators had predicted after the July 7 suicide bombings.

"The number of visits by overseas residents to the UK, and in particular London, between July and September 2005 may have been affected by the bombings in July last year," the ONS said.

Overall, the number of foreign visitors to the UK as a whole in the twelve months ending with November 2005 rose 10% to 30 million.

London attracted 5% fewer tourists from Europe and 6% fewer visitors from the rest of the world compared with the third quarter of 2004, although the number of US tourists visiting the capital was steady.

The number of visits abroad by UK residents in the year to November 2005 rose 4% to 66 million, the ONS said.

Visits to western Europe grew 1%; in the US they rose by 4% and in other parts of the world 19%.