London Mayor Sadiq Khan has unveiled a major £7 million international campaign aimed at promoting London as a leading destination for tourism and investment – while directly tackling the growing impact of online disinformation.
The initiative, delivered by London & Partners (L&P), will target audiences across Europe, the United States and Asia. It aims to showcase the capital’s strengths in culture, business, and innovation, while restoring confidence among visitors and investors increasingly exposed to misleading narratives online.
The Mayor announced the campaign during a four-day trade mission to Singapore and Tokyo, designed to strengthen economic and cultural links. As part of the launch, a 203ft digital billboard was unveiled at Suntec Singapore – one of Asia’s premier exhibition venues – highlighting London’s global appeal.
The campaign will formally launch in September, positioning London as a city of “constant evolution” and promoting its heritage, creative industries, and role as a global hub for trade and innovation.
Tourism remains a critical pillar of London’s economy, contributing more than £41 billion annually and accounting for over a quarter of all tourism jobs across the UK. The capital continues to earn international recognition:
- Named the world’s best city for culture by Time Out
- Awarded the 2026 World City Prize, often described as the “Nobel Prize for cities”
- Global leadership across finance, technology, education, sport, and the arts
This campaign builds on a busy summer for London, including major events such as London Tech Week, SXSW London, and the upcoming London Climate Action programme.
While London’s global reputation remains strong, City Hall has identified a sharp rise in coordinated misinformation campaigns targeting the capital.
New research reveals:
- Up to 15,000 Japanese-language posts per month on X falsely portraying London as unsafe or unstable
- Coordinated translation and amplification of anti-Islam and anti-immigrant narratives
- Use of AI-generated imagery to spread misleading claims, including false depictions of large-scale events
- Verified social media accounts posing as credible news sources to boost engagement and revenue
In some cases, misleading content has distorted official communications – for example, misrepresenting a US Embassy security alert as evidence that “London has fallen.”
Further analysis by the Greater London Authority (GLA) found that hostile narratives about London have increased by 150–200% over the past two years, with activity linked to international networks spanning Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Nigeria, alongside extremist and state-aligned actors.
In response, the Mayor has taken steps to confront disinformation directly:
- Writing to major social media platforms calling for stronger action against coordinated fake networks
- Engaging with international diplomatic representatives to address misinformation abroad
- Supporting proposals to restrict social media access for under-16s until safety improves
These actions aim to protect London’s economic interests and reputation while safeguarding public understanding of the city’s realities, including crime levels – which remain comparatively low, with record-low homicide rates per capita.
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.”
Image credit: iStock
