The UK may have voted to leave the European Union, but Mayor Sadiq Khan of London is doing everything he can to ensure that London remains a global city. According to Airbnb, his efforts are working.
After the so-called Brexit vote on June 23, Khan launched a global campaign to attract visitors and investment in the nation’s capital.
The mayor’s #LondonIsOpencampaign has backers including Prime Minister Theresa May, former Mayor Boris Johnson, celebrities like Jude Law and One Direction, and companies like Google.
Whether its the London is Open campaign, or just that the British pound plunged in the wake of the Brexit vote — making travel to the UK cheaper — people are coming.
In a Thursday statement, the room-rental company Airbnb reported a 24% increase in London visits since the Brexit referendum. These visitors are coming from more than 164 countries, and have made London the third-most-popular city in the world for Airbnb guests.
Since the Brexit vote, Britain’s sharing economies have actually grown faster than in the rest of Europe, according to research released by PwC. The UK’s sharing-economy sectors could see a 20-fold increase to £140 billion by 2025, up from £7 billion today.
“We have something for everyone, and as the mayor of this fabulous city, I am delighted to hear that Airbnb hosts are continuing to welcome guests from hundreds of countries,” Khan said in Airbnb’s statement.