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The British Hospitality Association (BHA) has said it has “high expectations” of the new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.
Khan, who was standing for Labour, was elected to the post on Thursday 5 May after beating Conservative candidate Zac Goldsmith by 1,310,143 votes to 994,614. He will now be Mayor of the capital for the next four years.
Ufi Ibrahim, CEO of BHA, said the association has “high expectations” of the new Mayor of London and the capital’s Assembly members.
She said: “London is the world’s most-visited capital city, generating over £36bn in tourism revenue and £14bn gross value added by the hospitality industry.
“Our businesses employ one in ten Londoners. However, international rivalry is intense and we cannot take our competitiveness for granted.
“It’s not just our pubs, restaurants, hotels, serviced apartments, events, food service, clubs and attractions who have high expectations of the new Mayor. It’s also the retailers, services, manufacturers, transport and construction industries whose success is interlinked with ours. The hospitality industry’s success is integral to that of London.”
She added the BHA wants the Mayor to champion the association’s ongoing programmes on foods, jobs, apprentices and skills.
She also said the BHA wants the Mayor’s “urgent” attention on a number of outstanding decisions, including the protection of visitors and Londoners by ensuring the enforcement of fire and safety regulations for online home rental companies.
