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Found 338 jobs.

Work within the Travel industry? Searching for new job vacancies in London? You've come to the right place! Here at Leisurejobs we supply a massive number of Travel career opportunities all over London as well as Watford, Romford, Twickenham and other local areas. We have new positions added daily, so Register with us today and get the latest London based vacancies straight to your inbox!

Work on a Summer Camp - USA

• Work in the USA!
• $1000 - $1600
• Camp America

Are you ready to make summer 2023 the best one yet? Get ready for real fun, real travel and real adventure with the real Camp America.

View details Work on a Summer Camp - USA

• 10 days ago
• Save Work on a Summer Camp - USA You need to sign in or create an account to save

Deli Assistant - Greece

• Competitive
• Peligoni Club

We are looking for a versatile team who can look after guests dining in the restaurant, as well as upsell produce in our Deli...

View details Deli Assistant - Greece

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Ultimate Holiday Camps - Nationwide

• Competitive pay (Inclusive of Holiday Pay, based on an 8.5 hour day)

The role of an Activity Instructor is to ensure the welfare and safety of the children on camp and to deliver outstanding, structured activities.

View details Ultimate Holiday Camps - Nationwide

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Swimming Instructors - Work Abroad

• Work Abroad
• Starting From €1,000 net/month + Benefits

Are you ready to embark on a journey in the world of Swim, hospitality, and tourism?

View details Swimming Instructors - Work Abroad

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Private Luxury Travel Manager

• London (Greater)
• ££ Base Salary + plus performance based bonus and company benefits
• Ten Lifestyle Group

🌟 Join the Journey to Exceptional Luxury Travel Experiences with Ten! 🌟 At Ten, we're on a mission to redefine luxury travel experiences and beco...

View details Private Luxury Travel Manager

• 11 days ago
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Guest Communications Agent - London

• London, Greater London
• £26000.00 per annum plus service charge

Guest Communications Agent - London The Botree luxury hotel are thrilled to announce an exciting opportunity for a Guest Communication Agent to join

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Night Receptionist - Great Scotland Yard, London Easy Apply!

• Great Scotland Yard, London
• £26,410 per annum + Service Charge (Expected to be an average of £600 per month)
• Great Scotland Yard

Apply today for this Night Receptionist role and start your journey with Great Scotland Yard Hotel!

View details Night Receptionist - Great Scotland Yard, London

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Arts & Crafts Instructor - Nationwide

• £412.00 – £559.17 salary per week dependant on age
• Barracudas Activity Day Camps

Set up and maintain your Arts & Crafts area so that it is suitable and inviting for the children...

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Multi Activity Instructor - Nationwide

• £405.69 – £530.76 salary per week dependant on age

Set up and maintain your Multi Activity area so that it is suitable and inviting for the children...

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Nationwide

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Group Leader - Nationwide

• £412.00 – £559.17 salary per week dependant on ag

Assist with the set up and maintain a suitable base room area that is inviting for the children...

View details Group Leader - Nationwide

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Early Years Group Leader - Nationwide

• £421.52 – £628.71 salary per week dependant on age

Ensure the Early Years Foundation Stages are implemented...

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Camp Manager - Nationwide

• £612.18 - £798.50 salary per week dependant on age

Lead Induction Training and oversee the Set-Up Days ahead of Camp...

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Group Leader 10+ - Nationwide

• £547.27 – £628.71 salary per week dependant on age

View details Group Leader 10+ - Nationwide

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Assistant Camp Manager - Nationwide

• £549.70 - £640.48 salary per week dependant on age

Support/Deliver Induction Training and oversee the Set-Up days ahead of Camp...

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Early Years Manager - Nationwide

• £580.24 - £718.65 salary per week dependant on age

View details Early Years Manager - Nationwide

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Fencing+ - Nationwide

• £405.69 – £530.76 salary per week dependant on age, internal/external experience

Set up and maintain your activity areas to ensure they are suitable and inviting for the children...

View details Fencing+ - Nationwide

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Dance & Drama Instructor - Nationwide

Set up and maintain your dance and drama area so that it is suitable and inviting for the children...

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Activity Leader - Nationwide

Activity Leader contracts are based on a minimum of 4 - days per week. You will have an allocated day off each week...

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Woodford Green, London

• Woodford Green, London
• £431.47- £529.53 Per Week

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Woodford Green, London

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Barnet, London

• Barnet, London

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Barnet, London

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Romford, London

• Romford, London

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Romford, London

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Twickenham, London

• Twickenham, London

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Twickenham, London

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Streatham, London

• Streatham, London

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Streatham, London

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Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Upminster, London

• Upminster, London

View details Multi Activity Instructor - Summer Camp - Upminster, London

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• Information for...

What are you looking for?

When you join VisitBritain/VisitEngland, you join a global and inclusive organisation with incredible people at its heart. We share a mission to make tourism one of the UK’s most successful and productive sectors, united by our values which guide the way we work: with passion, in partnership and at pace.

We offer a range of exciting career opportunities including marketing, PR, communications, trade, digital, analytics and insights, e-commerce and corporate services. Start your new chapter by browsing our vacancies, meeting some of our team and reading frequently asked questions.  

Current vacancies

Discover the roles we’re recruiting for right now and sign up to our industry newsletter  for future vacancy alerts.

Applications Support Team Leader / BTA/1430

Business events, marketing and communication executive / bta/1429, regional marketing manager, americas and australia / bta/1415, director of finance.

Employment type Permanent/Full Time

Salary level £115,000- £120,000

Deadline 19th May 2024, 23:55  

Recruitment enquiries Please contact Karl Robson at [email protected]

What does VisitBritain/VisitEngland do?

Our purpose is to drive a thriving tourism industry, creating economic prosperity across Britain. VisitBritain is active in 22 global markets, a network that enables us to build strong relationships, understand our customers and promote Britain effectively. Alongside this, VisitEngland continues to strengthen English tourism by leading and enabling a sustainable and resilient visitor economy.

Learn more about what we do .

What kind of workplace is VisitBritain/VisitEngland?

By working with us, you’ll help to inspire visitors to explore and experience Britain, and support our tourism industry to do the same. You’ll be part of a vibrant global network of colleagues, a friendly and fulfilling environment which promotes equity and encourages diversity and inclusion, career development, learning and well-being.

Read more Frequently Asked Questions about working for us below.

As one global team, we work together with passion, in partnership and at pace.  Our passion means we’re fuelled by enthusiasm and positivity to deliver excellent results. Our partnerships mean we’re empowered to collaborate with each other and our partners to achieve more impactful results.  Our pace means delivering innovation through agility, boldness and bravery. 

We’re keen to hear from people who share our values.

Internships

Looking for real-life business experience, or a placement to help you gain a qualification? We offer paid internships in the UK and USA including marketing, PR, communications and e-commerce.

Internship opportunities in the UK : all of our interns are recruited in partnership with  Student Employment Services . If you are interested in internship opportunities, please contact them directly.

Internship opportunities in the USA : when we have vacancies available, they will be advertised on our recruitment platform .  

Calling all content creators

VisitBritain/Sam Barker

Find freelance opportunities on our Freelance Content Producer Network. We’re looking for talented people to create content for VisitBritain and VisitEngland’s social channels, which have a combined following of more than 5 million. Showcase what Britain has to offer and get paid for doing what you love: we pay a pre-agreed fee for content, and send out opportunity alerts via our mailing list.

Meet our colleagues

Suzy faulkner, deputy commercial director – london.

“I wanted to work for a global company to give me the opportunity of being exposed to multiple areas of the business as well as people and cultures. Working at VisitBritain has broadened my perspectives, and in turn enhanced my professional capabilities which has added value to the organisation. 

“There is flexibility, as my agenda could cover calls with Asia in the morning and webinars in the USA in the evening, which has led to a happier, healthier work-life balance. I have also expanded my knowledge of global markets and learnt best practices relating to policies and strategies.”  

Robin Kagenaar, Digital Marketing Manager Netherlands – Amsterdam 

“Working in the Europe team is truly international. I enjoy catching up on travel trends, and sharing ideas and video calls with colleagues all over the continent. You learn something new every day, from tiny but important cultural differences to massive overlaps in traveller behaviour that you never knew were there. 

“Working at VisitBritain is inspiring, energising and educational and you get to meet some of the nicest, most professional people around.”

Misha Kim, Marketing Manager – Seoul, China and North East Asia

“Britain is perceived very well in South Korea, and I am happy to represent it. The UK was actually the first country I visited overseas and it’s where I met my husband, so it’s a very special place to me. 

“My colleagues in London and in my region have always made me feel part of the team. We are so diverse, dynamic and delightful, and I am so proud to work alongside people who share my love for Britain.”

Celia Diaz, PR & Content Manager – Spain

“As a PR professional I worked in different areas of the tourism industry before I joined VisitBritain. One of the best things about working for an international company is the number of colleagues you meet from all around the globe. From Australia to Canada, to India and Brazil, we all work together to spread awareness of Britain.”

Frequently asked questions

What we offer: visitbritain/visitengland’s employee benefits.

Our employees are entitled to multiple benefits, subject to local legislation and regional reviews (please check the vacancy notice for details). The following benefits are applicable to our UK employees:

• Flexible working: we work to make flexibility a reality, and welcome conversations about flexible working from day one.
• Annual leave: you will have 25 days of annual leave when you join, rising to 30 days after five years’ service, plus an additional 2.5 ‘privilege days’ each year.
• Generous pension: we have a defined contribution pension scheme, with a maximum employer contribution of 11% of your annual salary.
• Enhanced parental and family leave policies: we provide enhanced family leave, offering up to 23 weeks of paid leave for maternity and adoption for eligible employees.
• Commitment to learning: we encourage and support development and learning, and offer on-the-job learning opportunities, mentoring schemes and formal training. We dedicate and provide a minimum of five days per year for employees to focus on their learning. 
• Season ticket and bicycle scheme loans.
• Eye-care voucher.
• Staff discounts on the VisitBritain Shop .  

How does VisitBritain/VisitEngland hire?

We assess each applicant impartially. We recruit candidates on merit through fair and open competition. Our recruitment is:

• Fair : we use reasonable endeavours to ensure there is no known or intentional bias in the recruitment process.
• Open : our roles are advertised both internally and externally.
• Based on merit : we select candidates based on their suitability against the essential criteria of the role.

We are an equal opportunities employer, fully committed to diversity, equality and inclusion. We celebrate all identities, giving everyone the opportunity to thrive in a culture where they are heard, respected and valued.

How can I apply for a role?

To apply for a role, you will need to register on our recruitment system . After registration, you’ll be asked to complete an online application. 

Your application form can be saved, reviewed and edited before submission. There are eight sections in each application form:

• Personal details
• Diversity monitoring
• Educational qualifications
• Employment history
• Personal statement
• References (covering last three years’ employment)
• Declaration
• Confirmation

You may also be asked to answer job-specific questions as part of your application.

Always review the job description before applying, and use the personal statement section to highlight how your qualifications, skills and experience match the requirements.  

What should I expect after applying?

Your application will be evaluated against the job description and person specification. 

Successful candidates will be invited to an interview. For some roles, two rounds of interviews will be required. Our interviews are competency-based, designed to eliminate unconscious bias and involve two or more team members on the panel.

Successful candidates will receive a verbal offer, followed by a confirmation email and an official offer and contract of employment.

Once the employment contract is signed, we will contact your referees and undertake relevant safety and security checks.

Due to the volume of applications, we are only able to provide feedback to those who progress to the interview stage. You can request this by writing to [email protected] .

For information on how we are GDPR-compliant and manage your data, please see our Privacy Policy .

How can I make a complaint about the recruitment process?

We are sorry to hear that you have decided to make a complaint about our Recruitment and Selection process.

If you feel that your application has not been treated fairly you must submit a complaint in writing to  [email protected]  within three months from the date you receive the outcome of your application.

When sending your complaint, you must state the vacancy name and ID and explain the reasons for the complaint, providing evidence where possible.

Upon receiving your complaint, our Recruitment Business Partner will conduct an independent investigation and provide a written response to the complaint within 28 working days. If the deadline of 28 days cannot be met, you will be contacted and provided with a reason for the delay.

Potential outcomes from the investigation can be one or more of the following but not limited to:

• Complainant would be provided with detailed feedback answering their concerns;
• If training issues are identified within the recruitment and selection process, they will be actioned.

If you are dissatisfied with the response you receive from our Recruitment Business Partner, you can take it further by emailing [email protected] within four weeks of receiving the response. Our Legal Team will confirm receipt of your complaint within five working days and investigate further.

Useful contacts

Recruitment team, discover more.

Learn more about our structure, our priorities, our senior team and our global network.

Getty Images/E+/SolStock

Our purpose is to drive a thriving tourism industry, creating economic prosperity across Britain.

Getty Images

Our history

Since 1969 we have supported and promoted Britain – read all about our partners, collaborations, promotions and campaigns over the years.

NYMR/NYMNPA

Explore our curated information for...

Everything you need to inspire your clients. Discover new products, experiences and itinerary ideas – plus useful resources and the latest market insights.

Reach new customers and increase your profitability. Drive sales with our tools, events and training, find out about quality assessment and get expert guidance from the England Business Advice Hub.

Build sustainable and valuable growth. Learn about England’s new destination management structure, find expert advice, and boost your proposition with our training and toolkits.

Access resources for business events to support your business development and event strategy. Discover England, Scotland and Wales' business event offering for your next conference, incentive, exhibition or event.

Discover our media centres, image and video library and latest press releases, plus contacts for our corporate and consumer press teams.

Studying tourism at school, college or university? We’ve gathered essential resources and data for students of tourism, plus information about our internships.

Travel Jobs in London

• Airline (3)
• Business Travel (10)
• Conference / Incentives (1)
• Fares & Ticketing (2)
• Home Working (1)
• Marketing (8)
• Product / Commercial (4)
• Operations / Back office (4)
• Travel Agent (3)
• Reservations (4)
• Tourist Board (1)
• Tour Operator (15)
• The City (6)
• South East London (1)
• South West London (6)
• North London (2)
• West London (4)
• Permanent (41)

Salary range

• £20,001 - £40,000 (29)
• £40,001 - £60,000 (8)
• £60,001 - £80,000 (2)
• £100,001 + (2)

Travel Trade provides instant access to the latest travel jobs in London for experienced professionals and candidates who are looking to further their travel careers in the travel industry.

Travel Jobs in London by Industry Sector:

Latest jobs

City of London, London

Do you have experience working on dedicated finance accounts? This leading Travel Management Company are seeking a highly-skilled, customer-focused, Senior Business Travel Consultant

Up to £24000 per annum

Have you recently returned from travelling and looking to secure a role within the travel industry? Are you sales driven and have a proven background hitting your sales targets?

£21000 - £39000 per annum

Are you an experienced Business Travel Consultant looking for part time work? Do you have other commitments in the week and prefer to work evenings and weekends?

£30000 - £35000 per annum

A European Airline is looking for an Amadeus Ticketing agent , office based role in central London , must be fully trained on Amadeus.

Up to £70000 per annum + + Bonus

South West London, London

Amazing opportunity for a Senior PR Account Director to join a team in London. You will be responsible for running accounts for some of the leading brands in the luxury hotel space.

£30000 - £35000 per annum + + Commission

Exciting opportunity for a Team Leader to join a friendly team in Southwest London. As the Team Leader, you will be responsible of supervising the Travel Sales Executive team.

Up to £25000 per annum + OTE £30,000 - £60,000

Exciting opportunity for a Senior Travel Executive to join a friendly team in Southwest London As the Travel Executive, you will be responding to enquiries created online & through our own database

£33000 - £37000 per annum

Sales Manager (Corporate & Leisure) Major airline looking for Sales Executive to promote and boost there name and expand there presence.

24996/KEL1234567891

£35000 - £40000 per annum

West London, London

Are you an experienced Key Account Manager in the travel sector looking for a new challenge working for a reputable airline? My client is seeking a professional and knowledgeable candidate.

Do you have extensive experience of incoming group and incentive travel into the UK?

Up to £29000 per annum

Are you an expert in using Galileo? Do you have experience as a Business Travel Consultant? We are currently recruiting for a Business Travel Consultant to join a TMC in London.

£30000 - £40000 per annum

Africa specialist tour operator , looking for a content writer , must know Africa well and ideally lived and travelled extensively.

A CAREER AWAITS

• Accounts/Admin
• Business Travel
• Car Hire/Coach/Rail
• Conference/Incentives
• Contract/Procurement
• Fares/Ticketing
• Foreign Exchange
• Home Working
• HR/Recruitment
• IT/Technology/Web
• Product/commercial
• Reservations
• Tourist Board
• Tour Operator
• Travel Agent

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Deep Beneath London, Onetime Bomb Shelters Will Become a Tourist Attraction

Used for spying, a phone exchange and more over the years, a semi-secret web of tunnels in central London could open to the public in 2027.

By Claire Moses

Reporting from 98 feet below street level in London

There’s a locked door on the eastbound platform of the Chancery Lane station of the London Underground. The door is unassuming, sturdy and white.

Behind it is a wide set of stairs leading to a roughly mile-long maze of tunnels built in the 1940s that were first intended to serve as a World War II shelter and later used for espionage, the storage of 400 tons of government documents and telecom services.

Welcome to the Kingsway Exchange tunnels, set roughly 100 feet below street level in the center of London, sprawling beneath the Underground’s Central Line. Soon they could enter a new chapter: Angus Murray, the owner of the complex, who bought the tunnels last summer, has applied for planning permission to the local authorities together with the architecture firm WilkinsonEyre to turn the tunnels into a tourist destination that could handle millions of people a year.

Mr. Murray’s London Tunnels is planning to invest a total of 220 million pounds (about $275 million) on restoring and preserving the tunnels, as well as adding technology for art installations and other attractions. Mr. Murray hopes to open the complex in 2027, and said that it would be able to host temporary art exhibitions, fashion shows and more.

At the moment, entering the tunnels requires riding a small elevator tucked behind a side door in an alleyway off a wide street in central London. (Visitors to the attraction would use a different, bigger entrance, Mr. Murray said.)

When the elevator doors open, you step into a World War II-era tunnel — one of 10 civilian shelters proposed by the British government after the beginning of the Blitz, the eight-month bombing of London by the Germans that started in September 1940. The tunnels were never used as shelters. By the time they were completed in 1942, the Blitz was over.

During the Cold War, the British government instructed its telephone department, which later became British Telecom, to set up a secret communications system in the tunnels that could survive a nuclear attack. The famous hotline between the Kremlin and the White House ran through the complex, according to the project’s website. Some of the phone exchange’s equipment in the tunnels still survives today, even though it hasn’t been used since at least the 1980s.

“The idea was that it would provide a degree of protection,” said Martin Dixon, a trustee for Subterranea Britannica , a charity that documents and tries to preserve underground spaces.

“If the Cold War had turned into something more serious, it would have allowed communications on some level to continue,” Mr. Dixon, who joined Subterranea Britannica about 40 years ago, said.

The tunnels under the Chancery Lane station of the tube are more than a mile long and in some places have a diameter of almost 25 feet. Those dimensions make them among the largest sets of tunnels built for people in a metropolitan city, Mr. Murray said.

“They have a fascinating history,” he said.

For a group of Post Office and telecoms workers in the decades after World War II, the tunnel complex became a workplace, some aspects of which have survived. In one room, the stuffy smell of an old carpet is inescapable. Another still holds the remnants of a canteen. Yet another has fake windows framing images of nature as decorations. There are still offices, as well as rooms where workers could spend the night.

Some parts of the tunnels are lined with fake walls, and doors with nothing behind them. The effect is not unlike watching a scene from the dystopian Apple TV+ show “Severance .”

A bar where postal workers could drink is also still there, and Mr. Murray said he hoped to revive it and make it London’s deepest underground bar.

The tunnels’ communication operation became obsolete in the 1980s, and in 2008 British Telecom put the tunnels up for sale . BT employees used to go down into the complex up until the 1990s to inspect for fire safety and other conditions. The tunnels were otherwise vacant.

Many details of the new attraction still need to be ironed out, but Mr. Murray said the cost of the experience would probably be in the same price range as that of other major tourist sites in London. (The Tower of London’s entry fee is about $40, and Westminster Abbey’s is about $36.)

Mr. Dixon, of Subterranea Britannica, said he was excited about the prospect of the Kingsway Exchange turning into an attraction — provided it’s safe and the history is preserved.

“I’ve seen thousands of underground spaces, from the mundane to the spectacular,” he said. The Kingsway Exchange is particularly interesting, he added, because of all the different functions it had. “It played its part in World War II, and was ready to play its part in the Cold War.”

Claire Moses is a Times reporter in London, focused on coverage of breaking and trending news. More about Claire Moses

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What happened to London runaway horses that bolted through the city?

The runaway army horses tore through central london, prompting 'total mayhem' including crashing into a taxi and tourist bus..

Content warning: graphic photo

Two military horses seriously injured after running loose through London on Wednesday have been offered a home with a horse sanctuary.

The pair, who underwent operations, were described by defence minister James Cartlidge as being in a "relatively serious condition" and may not ever be well enough to return to active duty.

If they do not make a full recovery, The Horses Trust told The Independent that they would be welcomed into their sanctuary. The military has not made any comment on the offer, as yet.

On Wednesday, five army horses spooked during a military extended exercise sparked 'total mayhem' as they tore through central London pursued by police, smashing into cars, a taxi and a tourist bus.

The horses were spooked when building materials were dropped from height at a construction site right next to them in Belgravia during the routine exercise. Four soldiers were thrown off and five of the animals ran off.

Four of the animals who broke loose have now been named: Vida, Trojan, Quaker and Tennyson. Eyewitnesses reported seeing smashed-up vehicles and one of the horses covered in blood as the animals were chased through the city by police officers.

Vida was the grey horse seen in videos and images from Wednesday covered in blood galloping through central London, alongside black horse Quaker. In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, the army said one of those operated on had been taken to an equine hospital.

On Thursday, defence minister James Cartlidge told Sky News that three of the horses were fine but Vida and Quaker were still recovering: "Two of them are unfortunately in a relatively serious condition and obviously we will be monitoring that condition. They are in a serious condition, but as I understand, still alive.”

What happened?

The horses broke loose during an extended exercise with six soldiers in Belgravia, with four of the riders thrown off, after being spooked by building work in the area on Wednesday morning.

Three personnel from the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment incurred injuries which were not thought to be serious and received treatment in hospital. The fourth person who was injured in the incident is believed to be a cyclist and member of the public, the BBC reports.

Emergency were called early on Wednesday morning after reports of a rider coming a horse. Several horses were then spotted close to Buckingham Palace , with two of them being taken under control by police in Docklands following a dramatic pursuit. A drone team from the London Fire Brigade was used to help locate the animals.

Ambulance crews treated four people in three separate incidents in Buckingham Palace Road, Belgrave Square, and at the junction of Chancery Lane and Fleet Street, in the space of just 10 minutes.

The horses were all returned to Hyde Park barracks and were undergoing veterinary care, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment later confirmed.

In a video statement posted on X later on Wednesday, Commanding Officer of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment Matt Woodward said: “Every morning, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London exercises some 150 horses in the parks and on the roads. This keeps them fit and helps inoculate them to city noise so they’re less easily panicked on parades.

“This morning, however, a small group of horses were spooked by some construction works on a quiet side road in Belgravia where building materials were dropped from height right next to them. The ensuing shock caused all horses to bolt and unseated some riders. Our immediate priority was the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers, members of the public and our horses.

An update following this morning’s incident with Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment horses in London. Three of our soldiers are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Our horses are also safe, and are undergoing veterinary care. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/ljJCF6NP7A — British Army 🇬🇧 (@BritishArmy) April 24, 2024

“We would like to express heartfelt gratitude for the swift responses of Met Police, City of London police, the Royal Mews, the London Ambulance Service, the London fire brigade and members of the public in reacting as quickly as they did. This enabled swift treatment of our soldiers and helped bring our injured horses to safety."

The commanding officer added: "Thankfully, considering the frequency of exercise and numbers of horses involved, this type of incident is extremely rare, we continue to strive to minimise the risk of this recurring. As ever, we are grateful for due consideration given by the members of the public to not making loud noises around our horses."

What witnesses said

During the horses' journey, they were spotted racing into cars, a taxi and a tourist bus, which was left with a smashed windscreen.

An employee for tour bus company Big Bus, named only as Mr Mahmood, said three horses got “out of control” from Buckingham Palace Road.

He said: “One of the horses bumped into a bus, then everything got out of control. I saw two horses without riders gallop away. One rider managed to calm his horse down. An ambulance went to assist another rider who had been injured.”

One of the horses was running through the streets covered in blood, which appears to be a likely injury from a collision with a vehicle.

Roland, a worker for tour bus company, Toot Bus, said the scene was “total mayhem”. “I saw horses come from the bus station in front of Victoria run around in a frenzy,” he said. “People were running around to avoid them – it was total mayhem.”

Meanwhile, a management consultant from south London who saw two of the horses galloping near Aldwych said the sight was “gruesome” and “like a weird dream”.

The 28-year-old, named only as Tula, told the PA news agency: “People were stopping in the street shocked. The horses were running into fast-moving traffic and seemed terrified. Some unmarked police cars were chasing after them, which didn’t seem to be helping.

“I felt shocked. It was pretty gruesome. Felt like a weird dream.”

Cab driver Sean told BBC Radio London that he saw three horses being pursued. "It sounded like a car crash, one was possibly injured. Maybe that is why there are only two being seen," he said.

"I pulled out of Buckingham Palace Road, one of the riders was on the road on his back being tended to. There was a Mercedes Vito parked outside the Grosvenor Hotel with its side smashed in and covered in blood.

"All the windows were smashed so I am guessing the white horse has hit that running into it."

Understanding why even highly trained horses can bolt (Telegraph)

Taxi driver describes moment military horse smashed into side of his Mercedes (Evening Standard)

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But turning the corner, it’s a different story. A redbrick Victorian pub, draped in hanging flower baskets and mosaic tiling, is an unexpected hive of activity.

Despite the drizzle, people are sitting outside, nursing pints of beer and cups of coffee. Circling them are a handful of journalists – holding microphones, cameras, notepads. Passersby stop, point and pose for photos. Every few minutes, excited customers pour out of black cabs and head inside, where every table is taken.

Welcome to The Black Dog . A local London pub that’s been thrust into an unexpected spotlight and onto the tourist map, thanks to musician Taylor Swift.

Unexpected fame

Last Friday, Swift released her latest album, “ The Tortured Poets Department ,” along with a surprise additional 15 songs that make up “The Tortured Poets Department: The Anthology.”

On Instagram, Swift described the music as chronicling a “fleeting and fatalistic moment in time - one that was both sensational and sorrowful in equal measure.” The record appears to be inspired by the aftermath of Swift’s break-up with her long term partner, British actor Joe Alwyn, which saw her dive into a short lived but intense relationship with another Londoner – 1975 singer Matty Healy.

Amid the 31 tracks – which range from upbeat synth pop masking heartbreak, to slower, folk-inspired songs that lean into the sadness – is a reflective, moody track called “The Black Dog,” in which Swift sings about an ex who left his cell phone location settings on after the break-up:

“And so I watch as you walk

Into some bar called The Black Dog

And pierce new holes in my heart”

As soon as these lyrics hit the internet, Swifties started sleuthing. Was The Black Dog a real London spot, or just a fictional name chosen for its symbolic significance?

Maddie Essig, an American college student studying abroad in London, was among the fans who immediately started Googling.

“Joe and Taylor spent a lot of time in London,” says Essig. “I figured it would be around here somewhere.”

Essig is sitting inside The Black Dog at a table by the window, opposite her friend – fellow American abroad and Swift fan – Jenna Spackey. When the two start chatting with CNN Travel, they’ve just finished up their pub lunch (Spackey had a cesar salad, Essig had British pub classic fish and chips).

The two friends had never been to Vauxhall before. But once they realized The Black Dog was real, they hopped on a tube train – partly as a Swiftie pilgrimage and partly to celebrate finishing up their college semester. The two only have a couple of weeks left in the UK before they return to the US – Essig to Baltimore, Maryland and Spackey to Houston, Texas. They’re calling this period their “So Long, London” era, an homage to another song on “The Tortured Poets Department” which references the UK capital.

This new record isn’t the first time Swift’s namechecked London locations in her music. In her 2019 track “London Boy” – believed to be about Alwyn – Swift describes enjoying “nights out in Brixton” and “Shoreditch in the afternoon,” as well as “walking Camden Market” and heading to Highgate, the West End and even finding joy in “gray sky, a rainy cab ride.”

“People will go to all the places that she lists in the song,” says Spackey of “London Boy.” “I feel like The Black Dog will definitely be added to the hit list.”

Pub perspective

While no one – least of all Swift – has actually confirmed the Vauxhall Black Dog is the inspiration for her song (there is another London-based Black Dog, for one, a beerhouse further out of the city in suburban Brentford – while some fans have pointed to a bar in Cork, Ireland with the same name ) the south London Black Dog has leaned into its unexpected fame.

There’s now a sign in the window quoting the lyrics. On Instagram, the pub’s added “home to tortured poets” into its bio. Inside The Black Dog, the cocktail list on the blackboard has the addendum “Taylor’s Version” – a reference to the way Swift delineates her recent rerecorded tracks from the originals.

Lily Bottomley, events and social media manager for SC Soho, the small hospitality group that owns The Black Dog, tells CNN Travel she first heard about the song through her own personal social media channels.

“I saw ‘Black Dog,’ and I was like, ‘Oh…’ And then it just spiraled. And within half a day – even before the album release, we had people showing up,” Bottomley says.

Over the weekend, the pub hired extra security – “just a precaution, nothing crazy happened.”

Then followed “a really busy Monday” and a slew of bookings for the end of June and mid-August, when Swift will play eight sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. The Black Dog plans to open early and close later on those days. When Bottomley chats to CNN Travel, she gestures at the already-packed pub: “We’re expecting a busy Tuesday too.”

There’s been press coverage across the world, and as Bottomley speaks to CNN Travel, other news outlets are setting up lives and filming TikToks outside the pub.

The Black Dog was already active on Instagram pre-Swift-fame but Bottomley and her team set up a TikTok account over the weekend.

“Our TikTok, within 72 hours, got over 200,000 likes and a million views after its creation,” says Bottomley. “It’s immense.”

Meanwhile, the pub’s Instagram following has “tripled, nearly quadrupled now,” says Bottomley. People are following and commenting from all over the world.

The Black Dog is “a local pub,” says Bottomley – it’s generally known for its “quiet, cozy kind of atmosphere most of the time.”

Its interior is inviting, chic – and more gastropub than loud bar.

But the influx of enthusiastic Swift fans has been a joy, says Bottomley.

“We’ve had singalongs,” she says, adding the team are “working on” the idea of a Swift-themed karaoke night.

So far, the fans who’ve come by have all brought a positive, infectious good vibe.

“Last night we had loads of Swifties come in who didn’t know each other, and they were pulling chairs together, pulling their tables together, such a great atmosphere,” says Bottmley. “It’s predominantly women and it’s really positive to have that community come together in a pub.”

While many fans – like Essig and Spackey – believe “The Black Dog” is about Joe Alwyn, others think Matty Healy could be the subject (the references to smoking and the ex’s penchant for an “esoteric joke” seem more Healy-coded).

Bottomley won’t confirm or deny anything, but she does hint that the pub has “a certain blond regular,” seemingly a reference to Alwyn’s fair hair color.

As for Swift herself, Bottomley says she’s “never seen her” in the The Black Dog (which, again, fits with the lyrics of the song, which suggest Swift’s narrator is unfamiliar with the bar).

“You never know though,” says Bottomley. “We’d love to have her.”

Scene-setting song writing

When CNN Travel visits, there’s no time to sample The Black Dog’s inviting looking food menu , but this writer opts for a Swift-approved glass of Sauvignon Blanc (in another new track, “The Alchemy,” Swift compares the rush of a new love affair to a glass of wine: “This happens once every few lifetimes/These chemicals hit me like white wine,” she sings).

Meanwhile my companion tries The Black Dog’s signature stout and gives it the seal of approval. The two drinks come to £14.65 (around $18) which is about what you’d expect for London in 2024.

The stout is served up in a pint glass printed with the pub’s name, and accompanying black dog logo. Bottomley says no one’s stolen any of these glasses yet – much to her relief – but the pub is in the process of making merchandise, so visitors may be able to take a glass home before too long.

“If The Black Dog sold merch, I would buy something from their store,” says Swift fan Avangeline Strasburg. “Having something from a place I got to visit, that is also mentioned in a song of my favorite artist, would be a really neat souvenir.”

Florida-based Strasburg and her friend and fellow Floridian Katie Hageman are currently in London on vacation, in celebration of Strasburg’s 29th birthday.

“I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, Taylor’s releasing an album, right for my birthday, right for our trip!’” says Strasburg.

When the two friends realized The Black Dog was a real pub, they knew they had to squeeze in a visit into their London itinerary.

“We wanted to see it for ourselves,” says Hageman.

The two friends describe the pub as “quaint” – adding it’s not really what they were expecting based on the song lyrics.

“Hearing those lyrics I think we assumed that it would be more of a dive bar with loud music,” says Hageman.

As they pore over The Black Dog’s food menu, deciding what to have for lunch, Hageman and Strasburg chat with CNN Travel about whether or not Swift’s “The Black Dog” song is really about this pub – and whether the song is about Matty Healy or Joe Alwyn, or both.

It’s fun to speculate, they agree, but “maybe it’s not even about a certain person.”

Ultimately, it doesn’t really matter, the two friends decide. What excites Strasburg and Hageman most of all is “The Black Dog”’s evocative, scene-setting lyrics, which are a staple of Swift’s song-writing.

This kind of writing is key to Swift’s success. The specificity of the imagery – such as the scarf in “All Too Well” which her ex still has in a “drawer even now” – allows listeners to put themselves in Swift’s shoes. Sure, she’s a Grammy-winning billionaire leading a life worlds away from what most of us view as ordinary, but Swift has a knack for drawing emotion from everyday, relatable details.

And when Swift describes locations – whether the rented apartment on “Cornelia Street” or the “saltbox house on the coast” in “The Last Great American Dynasty” she does so with a particularity and fervor that allows listeners to draw an image in their minds’ eyes.

“She always includes little details, sometimes they’re vague, sometimes they’re specific – but they’re always parts of her life,” says Strasburg.

Hageman compares “The Black Dog” song to a “fable” – it’s probably not based entirely in reality. It may not be a real place. It may not be about a real person.

“This made the song even more relatable to us,” she says. “And I think to all who have created stories based on the glittering filtered details we perceive of each others’ lives from the outside.”

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