Visit London today unveiled a new official complaints service as part of a scheme to make the capital more visitor-friendly in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympics.

The complaints service forms part of the London Development Agency’s Improving the Visitor Experience – towards 2012 programme which includes a variety of measures designed to support and improve London's tourism businesses.

The service is designed to simplify the complaints procedure by coordinating the many enforcement bodies currently involved in the process, and providing a single point of contact for complainants.

Visit London chief executive, James Bidwell, said: “By simplifying the complaints procedure, we hope to encourage people to let us know if something went wrong during their visit – this feedback is the best way for us to learn and improve the London tourism offer before the 2012 Games."

The complaints service is available now on the Visit London website, from any London Tourist Information Centre or can be sent in by e-mail to listen@visitlondon.com. It can also be posted to Visitor Services Advisor, Visit London, 2 More London Riverside, London SE1 2RR

Visit London also welcomed yesterday’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee report into tourism, which criticised the Government’s handling of the industry and called for more funding.
 
Bidwell said: “Cutting tourism funding, which is criticised extensively in the Committee’s report, is short-sighted and places London and the UK at a competitive disadvantage to other destinations.”
 
“The post-2012 Olympic Games legacy depends on our ability to showcase London and Britain to the world and this cannot be done without appropriate funding. The government seems to have a tourism blind spot on how to maximise the Olympic opportunity,” he added.

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By Daniel Thomas