London takes over world to lure Olympic tourists

In an advertising campaign designed to celebrate the capital's unique qualities, the Thames is drawn across a picture of the earth - suggesting the 215-mile-long waterway can be seen from space.

The design is a twist on the myth that the Great Wall of China can be viewed from orbit.

It is one of a series of images that showing the meandering Thames on a globe-like background, each representing a different element of the city.

In one, the globe shape becomes the head of a microphone, promoting London's music scene.

In another, an exploding firework forms the circular shape, representing the capital's many festivals and celebrations. The images have the slogan: "See the world. Visit London."

The advertising campaign is by tourism agency Visit London. Details were revealed to the Evening Standard ahead of its official launch on Saturday.

The day after that, the Olympic handover from Beijing will take place.

Visit London chief executive James Bidwell said: "This celebrates a historic moment. The campaign captures our truly global status and underpins the importance of London as the number one international tourist destination.

"We are the greatest city on earth and our strategy is to emphasise this across all our communications. On Sunday the Olympic spotlight will be on our capital.

"London already welcomes more overseas tourists than any other city in the world and our goal is to maintain that momentum in the lead-up to and beyond the 2012 Games."

Mayor Boris Johnson said: "This is the largest ever campaign launched by Visit London and it really captures the excitement and anticipation of the Olympic handover."

As well as the main slogan, the poster of the microphone reads: "From the Riverfront Jazz Festival to the BBC Proms in the Park, there's a world of music festivals in London." The firework design says: "From the Mayor's Thames Festival to the Chelsea Flower Show, to the Notting Hill Carnival, there's a world of celebrations in London."