Key economic drivers in West London

Heathrow Airport – Employment within air transport grew by 6% per annum between the years 1998 and 2002 – an increase of over 25% during the four year period.

Tourism and the visitor economy – Already a significant contributor to the sub-regional economy, the economic impact of tourism and the visitor economy will grow, with an expected increase of 30 million passengers per annum passing through Heathrow Airport as well as the projected development of the ‘Visiting Friends and Relatives’ and ‘Business Tourism’ markets that West London is ideally placed to exploit.

Recreational and cultural activities – The new 90,000 seater, £757m Wembley Stadium development is not only a new iconic sporting venue. The 42 acre area around it will be a sporting, leisure, cultural, accommodation and commercial centre for London, unprecedented in its scale and scope. It demonstrates the importance of the growing leisure and tourism industry in
West London.

The food cluster – With particular concentrations around the Park Royal/Wembley area and Southall.

The creative industries – West London has a strong representation within the creative industries, with TV and radio having a particularly strong representation within the area epitomised by the BBC studios at White City. The digital media and ICT sectors are also strong in West London.

More information on the West London sub-regional economy and the full West London Economic Development Strategy (Dec 2004) can be found on the West London Alliance website and the West London Business website.