LTB seeks to update image with new name

London Tourist Board (LTB) is considering a name change in a bid to shake off its old-fashioned image.

The new name, which will reflect London as both a modern and tradi-tional tourist location, will be decided once the results of London Mayor Ken Livingstone’s review of tourism strategy for the capital is completed. He was presented with a three-year strategy for regenerating tourism in London by the London Development Agency (LDA) in March. His res-ponse is expected by October.

Part of the strategy document concerns the “organisational position” of LTB and whether any of its functions should change. LTB is a private firm funded by membership subscriptions, commercial activity and a mayoral grant of &£1.85m channelled through the LDA.

An LTB spokeswoman says: “Nothing has been decided” regarding a name change, but confirms that it is a subject under discussion.

The non-executive chairman of LTB, Teresa Wickham, quit in April after saying its work was undermined by a lack of funding and the number of competing bodies within the tourism sector. Tamara Ingram, chairman and chief executive of McCann-Erickson UK, has been appointed as interim non-executive chairman at LTB (MW July 25).