Tuesday 02 December 2014
There are seven days to go until the international search for London’s Official Guest of Honour ends. Launched last month (12 November) by VISITLONDON.COM, the official Visitor Guide to the capital, together with VisitBritain and the GREAT Britain campaign, the opportunity has drawn thousands of people from all over the world to apply for this once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience London as never before, with many more expected before applications close on Tuesday 9 December.
The winning guest will be invited to London in February 2015 and will have the unique honour of opening Tower Bridge, the most famous bridge in the world, visiting the Science Museum with renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking. Downton Abbey’s butler Carson – actor Jim Carter – will provide the winner with afternoon tea at Lord’s Cricket Ground; and both the world-famous singer and conductor, Plácido Domingo and British ballerina and Strictly Come Dancing judge Darcey Bussell, will take the winner to one of their favourite theatres in the world, the Royal Opera House. The Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton will personally cook a meal for the Official Guest of Honour at one of the capital’s best restaurants and the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, will take the Guest of Honour behind the scenes of the Houses of Parliament. As part of the experience the Guest of Honour will fire the guns from HMS Belfast, be an extra in the West End smash hit musical Mamma Mia!, walk the red carpet at a film premiere in Central London, and meet the English tennis star Tim Henman for a VIP tour of the All England Tennis Club, which hosts The Wimbledon Championships.
To apply to be London’s Official Guest of Honour, entrants must go to Visitlondon.com, submit a short film or image and in 70 words describe their perfect day in London. The closing date is 9th December 2014 and participants must be aged 18 and over. For all terms and conditions see the visitlondon.com website.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said: “London is ready to welcome our Guest of Honour in style. This is an incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the greatest city in the world, in the greatest possible way and I know the winner will take home something special, something unique, something that they will never forget. So post a film, enter the competition and give yourself a chance to win an experience like no other on earth.”
Plácido Domingo, the world-famous opera singer and conductor, said: “I first performed at the Royal Opera House in London in 1971 as Cavaradossi in Tosca and I am delighted to be able to show the Guest of Honour around one of my favourite Opera houses in the world and a special place for me. London is a city I keep returning to and it is one of the world’s great cultural capitals with its theatres, musicians and of course magnificent audiences.”
Jim Carter, the actor whose credits include playing the butler Mr Carson in the international television hit Downton Abbey, said: “London is an inspiring city with world-class heritage, built upon thousands of years of history. I look forward to help showcasing some of our culture to the world by accompanying the winner of this wonderful competition on a visit to Lord’s, highlighting some of our sporting history and showing them the spiritual home of cricket – a quintessential piece of London’s past, present and future.”
Global restaurateur and Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton said: “I’m delighted to be cooking for London’s Guest of Honour at my flagship London restaurant. Pollen Street Social holds a special place in my heart as it was the first restaurant we opened. I’m very proud to be a Londoner and to be representing London’s culinary scene on a global stage – I hope the winner will have a great time with us.”
Sally Balcombe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain added: “The Guest of Honour will enjoy experiences which simply cannot be bought, getting insider’s access to the most vibrant, stylish and exciting destination in the world. So to make sure you have a chance of winning, and making unforgettable memories, get your entries posted right away!”
The Guest of Honour will be announced in January next year and will be invited to visit the capital in early February 2015 with an accompanying guest. They will stay in a luxury suite, the official Guest of Honour residence, at Radisson Blu Edwardian, Mercer Street. London’s Official Guest of Honour will be hosted throughout the break by London Partners, the Mayor’s promotional company, which has worked with partners across the capital to make this dream trip come true.
The Official Guest of Honour experience will also have a chance to be a Keeper for the day at ZSL London Zoo and receive an All Access Pass to London’s most celebrated fashion hub, Oxford Street, including VIP styling and a £5,000 shopping spree. Highlights of the spectacular two-week holiday experience will be captured on film for the rest of the world to see.
London has experienced a post-Olympic 2012 tourism boost with significant increases in the numbers of people visiting the city. In 2013, according to official figures, the city welcomed a record 16.8 million international visitors. The respected Mastercard Global Cities Index, which recently announced that London was the most visited city on earth, has also projected the capital will host 18.7 million international visitors in 2014.
Notes to Editors
IMAGES AND VIDEO
High resolution images and b-roll of celebrities and attractions, broadcast quality interview footage about the campaign with Mayor of London Boris Johnson and images of London’s City Hall lit up with the Official Guest of Honour crest are available for download at:
• Dropbox: http://bit.ly/13D1bM5
• Newsmarket: www.thenewsmarket.com/londonandpartners
Twitter
#LondonGuest
@visitlondon
*Competition details
• Applicants must be 18 years old or over
• The competition is open to residents of the UK (excepting residents of the Greater London area), the United States of America, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Australia
• Entrants must submit a short film or image and in 70 words describe their perfect day in London. Entries will be submitted via www.visitlondon.com/guest
• Entries close 9 December 2014 or when 50,000 entries have been received
• The Guest of Honour will be selected by a Panel including London Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional company and an independent moderator who will ensure a fair and open process is followed in the selection of the Guest of Honour
• The selected Guest of Honour will be able to bring their own guest to accompany them
** See full competition terms and conditions at www.visitlondon.com/guest
The Magic Moments include
• Have afternoon tea with Downton Abbey’s, Jim Carter, at Lord’s Cricket Ground
• Visit the Science Museum with renowned physicist Professor Stephen Hawking
• Enjoy a six course meal cooked by Michelin-starred chef Jason Atherton
• Tour the Royal Opera House with world-famous singer and conductor, Plácido Domingo and internationally famed prima ballerina and Strictly Come Dancing judge, Darcey Bussell
• Go on a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament with Speaker of the House of Commons Rt Hon John Bercow MP
• Raise the most famous bridge in the world -Tower Bridge
• Tour the Wimbledon Grounds and Museum with British tennis star Tim Henman
• Walk the red carpet at a film premiere in Central London
• Be an extra in the West End smash hit musical Mamma Mia!
• Enjoy a VIP shopping experience on Oxford Street
• Be a Keeper for the day at ZSL London Zoo, the world’s first scientific zoo
• Edit a page of the “London Life” section of the Evening Standard newspaper
• Fire the guns from the warship, HMS Belfast a privilege normally reserved for special events
About London Partners
London Partners is the official promotional company for London. We promote London and attract businesses, events, congresses, students and visitors to the capital. Our aims are to build London’s international reputation and to attract investment and visitor spend, which create jobs and growth.
London Partners is a not-for-profit public private partnership, funded by the Mayor of London and our network of commercial partners.
For more information visit www.londonandpartners.com
