Visit London dismisses report on tourism and the Olympic Games
05 November 09
Visit London, the official visitor organisation for London, today dismissed a report by The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) claiming that the city may not see tourism benefits from staging the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in 2012.
Visit London denied the report’s claims that if London followed the same pattern as Beijing, and other recent host cities of the Olympic Games, tourism numbers were likely to fall significantly. It said:
• Visit London’s own research puts the estimated additional tourism revenues from the London 2012 Olympic Games at £1.5bn over ten years.
• Comparisons between Beijing and London are not relevant as they are completely different cities.
• Visitors will experience value for money when visiting the capital. London’s tourism industry is the first to introduce a Fair Pricing and Practice Charter to stop people feeling ‘ripped off’ during the Olympic Games.
• London’s transport infrastructure will cope with the added tourist numbers. The city is already one of the most accessible in the world, while improvement programmes will ensure that the network can meet the anticipated increase in passenger numbers.
• London will have a fantastic atmosphere throughout Olympic year thanks to the vast array of cultural activities and festivals being planned, as well as the Games themselves.
Visit London’s Chief Executive, Sally Chatterjee, said:
“It’s impossible to compare Olympic cities directly. London is the world’s most visited destination by foreign travellers and one of the most accessible cities in the world. We believe the London 2012 Olympic Games will bring an influx of new visitors to London. Olympic year will be one of the most exciting times in our history and no-one will want to miss out. We’re expecting the London 2012 Olympic Games to deliver nearly £1.5 billion in economic benefit to the city from increased tourism revenues over ten years.”
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