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2012 "unique opportunity" to showcase London

Jul 09, 2008

Responding to recent media reports about the benefits to tourism of the London 2012 Games, Visit London Chief Executive James Bidwell said, "The forecast incremental tourism benefit of the Games is £2.2bn for London and £2.9bn for the UK. This is based on research undertaken by Oxford Economics last year and includes the impact of any displacement effect.

"Our research also shows that increases in visits from our traditional markets such as the US and Europe due to the Games are likely to be outpaced by those from the rapidly emerging economies of the world – once again highlighting the growing importance of emerging markets and their significance in delivering the post-London 2012 legacy. Outbound travel from countries such as China, India and Russia will create a new world of global tourism in the years to come. China alone is estimated to have 100 million outbound tourists by 2020.

"London is the number 1 city destination in the world for international travel and the Games are a unique opportunity to make the British capital the number 1 destination of choice for visitors from emerging markets."

Mr Bidwell added, "The tourism benefits of the London 2012 Games do depend on having the right investment and strategies. With just 4 years to go, it is critical that the Government ensures appropriate funding is in place to maximise the forecast tourism legacy across the UK."

Photo: Copyright by Visit London

Contact name: Rania Wannous

Contact email: rwannous@visitlondon.com