Trade on terror alert
l Olympic joy turns to horror as terrorists strike
l Pubs offer safe haven for bombing victims
l Trade plays down economic damage to London pubs
l Fears of repeat attack heightened after Birmingham hoax
by Ewan Turney, Tony Halstead and John Harrington
The trade has vowed to stand firm after the bomb attacks that rocked London just 24 hours after the jubilation of securing the 2012 Olympics.
Amid chaotic scenes, scores of London licensees ignored the threat of danger and opened up to provide refuge for the walking wounded and a haven for city workers to follow events.
'It wasn't about making money, it was to show we would not be deterred, said James Kowszun, chief executive of Hartford Group, which owns a chain of bars in the city.
Licensees everywhere are being urged to be extra vigilant following the tragedy. The threat of a terrorist attack on pubs and clubs raised its head on Saturday night in Birmingham, when the city centre was evacuated after a hoax bomb threat (see box).
North West British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) secretary Lee Le Clercq passed through King's Cross just minutes after the explosion and said pubs had once again 'done their stuff.
He said: 'I had to walk for more than two hours across London to find a train to get me back north. The pubs I passed were all full as people sat watching televisions to digest the full impact of what had happened.
BBPA director of communications Mark Hastings added: 'Once again our pubs have demonstrated their unique com- munity benefit as people congre- gated to watch events unfold and share their experiences.
Most trade experts believe that pub business will not suffer serious damage after the blasts. But fears have been raised that the harrowing events could deter tourists, particularly the lucrative American market, from visiting London and Britain.
American tourists account for one in five of the 13 million an-nual visitors to London and this number had only recently return-ed to pre-11 September levels.
'We may have lost a lot of tourists for the remainder of the summer, particularly American visitors, but confidence will return in time, said Westminster Licensees Association chairman Alex Salussolia.
'The British pub will soldier on through all this because it is not in the trade's nature to let these things disrupt business. Pubs are very resilient even though it will be difficult to predict what people will be thinking in the weeks to come.
British Hospitality Association deputy chief executive Martin Couchman said Madrid's experience provided hope for London. 'Madrid experienced a dip immediately after the train bombings but recovered well and, in fact, last year recorded an overall 11% rise in tourism business, he said.
City analyst Geof Collyer of Deutsche Bank added: 'I would not have thought there will be permanent damage.
Following the attacks, National Pubwatch operations executive Bill Stone urged hosts to be extra vigilant and keep in close contact with police and other licensees via pubwatch. 'Pub-watch can go some way to counter the threat of terrorism, Stone said. 'We tended to get complacent after the IRA threat reduced. But terrorism can happen anywhere.
l More coverage p2&3
l Comment p20
The London Development Agency and Visit London have issued an emergency guide for tourism-linked businesses following last week's bombs. The guide aims to help operators through the first few weeks of a crisis and provides essential advice and guidance as well as access to a range of sources for business help and support. See www.businesslink4london.com.
