Student plans to show Olympic visitors what Newham has to offer

Luke Jacobs Saturday, July 21, 2012
2:00 PM

An East Ham student is to turn tourist guide during the Olympics to shed light on Newham’s attractions.

Priya Shah will lead a group that plans to show foreign visitors them what the borough has to offer.

She will be well placed to do the job because she is currently studying French and Italian at the University College London (UCL).

Miss Shah said: “We want to show people there’s more to London than just the usual tourist attractions like Big Ben.

“Newham is a very multicultural area with loads of different restaurants in Manor Park and East Ham.”

The students were approached by the Sharedhoods organisation and will be kitted out in distinctive T-shirts. They will also provide people with maps showing them the alternative attractions.

The old Town Hall in Stratford and the Millennium Mills in Silvertown could be seen as potential tourist hotspots.

Miss Shah added: “These places are a little bit different.

“With the T-shirts we hope that tourists will come to us so we can encourage them to visit these areas.

“It’s very important because it’s not just about central London, it’s about all of those places that won’t be seen during the Olympics.”