London tourism braces for slow recovery as city plans to reopen for visitors

The Tower Bridge in London has not had many visitors in the past year. — Photos: ALASTAIR GRANT/AP

The cobblestones are deserted at the Tower of London. A biting wind blows and there is no sign of life. Even the storied ravens are nowhere to be seen.

England’s top paid attraction, which normally draws more than three million visitors a year, has been closed for all but a dozen weeks since the pandemic began and international tourism to London came to an almost-complete standstill.