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Head of tourist agency to step down after funding cuts
Katharine Barney, Evening Standard25 Sep 2008
The chief executive of London's tourist agency is to stand down at the end of the year following a cut in funding.
James Bidwell, chief executive of Visit London, is leaving after the London Development Agency said in July that £5 million would be cut from Visit London's strategy arm London Unlimited.
Visit London denied the departure was related to the cost-cutting.
Mr Bidwell has been chief executive since 2005 and was previously marketing director at Selfridges. He is moving on to be managing director at Anthropologie Europe, a US lifestyle brand owned by Urban Outfitters.
Mr Bidwell said: "Visit London has made great progress over the past three years. Delivering record levels of spending by international visitors has been a real achievement.
"Tourism is one of the capital's most vital industries as it translates directly into jobs for London and Londoners. It has been a privilege to serve this great city and Visit London."
London has more overseas visitors than any other city. Its tourism industry is worth more than £16 billion and supports more than 250,000 full-time jobs.
