Kay Buxton, chief executive of Marble Arch London Business Improvement District has welcomed the reopening of outdoor hospitality on 12th April.

The Marble Arch area’s hotel and hospitality offer contributes enormously to the vibrancy and resilience of the district, which employs 135,000 people, hosts 3,000 hotel bedrooms and over 10,000 sqm of meeting and event space, the latter generating £45m of spend locally.

Kay Buxton, chief executive of Marble Arch London BID, said: “The past year has been extremely challenging with the hospitality industry bearing the brunt of the impact of lockdowns and social distancing, but we hope the reopening of outdoor hospitality will be the first step in their recovery.

“As a BID we are focused on promoting the district as a safe destination for visitors and our hospitality members have worked tirelessly to welcome Londoners back for a season of al fresco drinking and dining.

“Westminster City Council’s al fresco scheme is critical to this and it will remain throughout the summer months enabling cafes, restaurants, bars and hotels across the district to provide additional external seating for customers and guests with social distancing measures in place.

“We know visitors want to enjoy the easing of lockdown restrictions, and while the potential for large crowds may make some feel hesitant, we urge visitors to consider the numerous London villages and districts like Marble Arch, where they can safely enjoy the special feeling of being in London once again, and appreciate the diverse range of pubs, bars and restaurants.

“By visiting these areas of London, you are not only supporting the businesses and operations that keep London bustling and vibrant, but also helping to ease the pressure on traditional hospitality destinations thereby allowing safe social distancing to continue and preventing the spread of the virus.”