Mayor announces new £7m international tourism and investment campaign to promote London and fight back against harmful disinformation against the capital

• Sadiq announces major new campaign to promote London to international tourists and investors and show why the capital is the best city in the world
• Campaign will celebrate the very best of London, championing it as the ideal place to visit and invest in and fight back against harmful disinformation and false narratives being peddled on social media
• Sadiq says: “Disinformation about London has become a truly global scourge. It’s a money-making industry pushing lies about our capital and preying on people’s fears around the world, so we must fight back on a global scale.”
• Mayor unveils campaign during trade mission to Singapore as new research shows social media users in Asia are being targeted by disinformation about London

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced a major new international tourism and investment campaign to show the world the very best of London and fight back against the global scourge of online disinformation attacks.

 

The new £7m campaign, delivered by the Mayor’s growth agency London & Partners (L&P), will promote the capital across Europe, the US and Asia, celebrating why London is the best city in the world and helping to drive visitor numbers and business.

 

The Mayor announced the campaign in Singapore, where he is leading a trade mission banging the drum for the capital as a place to invest and developing cultural links. Sadiq unveiled a 203ft digital billboard at Suntec Singapore, one of Asia's leading convention and exhibition venues in the heart of Singapore, celebrating the infinite possibilities that London offers.

 

London is regularly voted the number one city in the world and is a recognised leader in finance, tech, education, sport and culture. Tourism contributes more than £41bn to the capital’s economy each year, and accounts for more than a quarter of all tourism jobs across the country. Last month, Time Out named London as the best city in the world for culture due to the capital’s free world-class museums, evolving cultural spaces and a standout year-round cultural programme. Earlier this year, London received the prestigious 2026 World City Prize, widely regarded as the Nobel Prize for cities, recognising the capital's exceptional achievements in urban development, innovation and strategic leadership.

 

But a flood of disinformation is being peddled online against the capital from all across the world. Harmful and false narratives are being spread widely across social media in what has become a money-making industry, with organised extremist groups and state actors attempting to create division and damage confidence in London.

 

New research published today shows the extent that social media users in Asia are being targeted by disinformation about London with Japanese and Chinese-language accounts mirroring and amplifying narratives originating from the UK's extreme right-wing.

 

It found that in some months more than 15,000 posts have been posted on X in Japanese with claims that the capital is lawless and under the influence of Islamic governance.

 

Japanese and Chinese-language accounts have been found to mirror and translate English-language anti-Islam and anti-immigrant posts in a template style.

 

Messages will be posted by multiple accounts in short timeframes to try to make money through engagement. In one example a US Embassy security alert was systematically misrepresented across accounts as confirmation that 'London has fallen', while another used AI imagery to claim that millions of people attended Unite The Kingdom rally.

 

The research found that verified X accounts can be a particular challenge as they pose as news outlets and spread false posts that will create high levels of engagement to make money.

 

Earlier this year GLA research that 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. This included a Vietnam-based Facebook network comprising at least 42 pages, with a combined following of approximately 1.25m, that used repeated AI-generated imagery to mass post emotive content. It also found evidence of involvement from hostile actors including extreme right-wing networks, pro-Kremlin, pro-Beijing and Maga-aligned groups, as well as further content farms in Sri Lanka and Nigeria.

 

The Mayor is committed to championing and standing up for London and tackling this harmful disinformation, which is why this new campaign will celebrate the very best of the capital to the world. It will target key markets to boost our hospitality, culture and tourism industries by increasing confidence among international holidaymakers, as well as attracting investment. It will launch in September showcasing the capital at prime locations across key global markets by celebrating London as a city of constant evolution, highlighting its rich heritage, world-class experiences, culture, creativity and role as a centre for innovation and trade.

 

Earlier this year the Mayor wrote personally to all of the major social media companies asking them to find and stop coordinated fake networks. Alongside the Met Commissioner, he also met with a number of British Ambassadors, High Commissioners and international representatives to discuss the prevalence of online misinformation about crime levels in the capital and its impact on international audiences. This is despite London having the lowest ever homicide rates per capita since records began, and a lower than any other UK city and below many comparable global cities. While earlier this month, the Mayor backed restrictions on social media access for under-16s until platforms are safe for kids due to the growing influence of the manosphere.

 

The Mayor is currently on a four day trade mission to Singapore and Tokyo, Japan, banging the drum for the capital as a place to invest and developing cultural links. It comes during a very busy summer for London, with SXSW London and London Tech Week just completed, London Climate Action taking place next week and some of the world’s biggest music artists performing across the capital.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “From offering the best attractions and cultural institutions for visitors to enjoy, to being an innovative and welcoming market for investors and tech companies, London truly is the greatest city in the world. Our extraordinary creativity, diversity and global influence defines our city, and makes us the perfect place to visit and invest in.

 

“However, we are facing a relentless and unprecedented attack of lies and hatred from those wanting to damage our capital’s standing and our hugely important tourism industry. Disinformation about London has become a truly global scourge. It’s a money-making industry pushing lies about our capital and preying on people’s fears around the world, so we must fight back on a global scale.

 

“That’s why we’re creating this major new campaign to challenge these false narratives and demonstrate once again why there’s no better place in the world that London.”

 

Laura Citron OBE, CEO of London & Partners and Visit London, said: “London is one of the greatest and most vibrant cities in the world. We’re excited to be telling the London story to potential visitors and investors across the globe and leading the charge against harmful disinformation. London is open, welcoming and thriving. This campaign is our opportunity to showcase the UK capital’s strengths to the rest of the world: putting London centre stage as a world-leading destination.”

 

Ros Morgan, chief executive of Heart of London Business Alliance (HOLBA), which represents over 500 businesses, said: "London is one of the most recognised and admired cities in the world, but increasingly we are seeing harmful and misleading narratives online that simply do not reflect the reality of life in our capital. Social media is increasingly being used as a platform to amplify negative and often false narratives about London, and unfortunately some politicians and commentators are helping to fuel those perceptions rather than championing one of the world’s great global cities.

 

“It’s important that we challenge that rhetoric and continue telling the real story of a capital that is diverse, dynamic, safe and open to the world. Millions of people visit London every year because of its unmatched culture, hospitality, creativity and openness. This campaign is vital to counter disinformation, restore confidence and remind the world that London remains a thriving, welcoming and world-leading destination for visitors and investment."

 

Nic Durston, Chief Executive of South Bank Employers' Group and South Bank BID, said: “London is best understood through the experiences of the millions of people who visit the capital every year. Our latest research found that 94 per cent of visitors rated their experience of South Bank as good or very good, reflecting the quality, vibrancy and diversity that make London one of the world's most attractive destinations. Those experiences are echoed across the capital every day, with visitors drawn by London's culture, creativity, hospitality and sense of opportunity.

 

“We welcome this campaign and the opportunity to showcase the capital's strengths to international audiences, encouraging more people to visit, invest and experience everything London has to offer. By highlighting London's culture, innovation, hospitality and talent, this campaign will help reinforce the city's position as one of the world's leading destinations for visitors, investment, and business.”

 

John Barnes, Chief Executive of Historic Royal Palaces, said: “London’s heritage is one of the many reasons people from around the world visit, and keep coming back. Places like the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace are where history feels alive, and where each year millions of visitors have captivating experiences that stay with them. This is a welcome chance to remind people just how much London has to offer—not just its history, but its energy, creativity and openness. It’s a world city, and a brilliant place to visit.”

 

Lady Mayor of the City of London, Dame Susan Langley, said: “As the UK's international ambassador for financial and professional services, I see firsthand the intensity of global competition. Other markets are actively promoting their strengths, and the UK must be equally confident in telling its story. Disinformation about London may begin online, but it doesn't stay online. It seeps into boardrooms and influences perceptions and shapes investment decisions. If we allow this narrative to take root, we risk undermining confidence and missing opportunities for investment and growth. During my year as Lady Mayor, I am committed to working with the Mayor, business leaders and industry bodies to help reset the narrative, champion London's strengths, and promote a clear, confident message about why London and the UK remain among the best places in the world to live, work and invest."