xford Economics to carry out in-depth research into the likely tourism

Findings from other Games

The Athens 2004 Games contributed to a 10% increase in inbound visitors in 2005

3.9 billion people watched the Athens Games on TV in 200 countries

The Sydney Games contributed to a 15% increase in inbound visitors in September 2000 versus September 1999

The State of Georgia economy increased by $5.1 billion as a result of the Atlanta 1996 Games

In the decade following the Barcelona 1992 Games, the number of international visitors doubled

In 2007, we commissioned jointly with Visit London, Oxford Economics to carry out in-depth research into the likely tourism impact of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Some of the findings are summarised below and the full report can be downloaded.

The research predicted that gross visitor spend in Britain generated by the London 2012 Games will be £2.34 billion for the ten year period 2007 to 2017, of which £1.85 billion will be spent in London (based on a central-case scenario).

In terms of relative importance, the pre-Games period is responsible for 15% of the estimated total tourism benefits for the UK as a whole; the Games themselves account for 31%, and the remaining 54% is to be generated after the Games (i.e., as a legacy effect). The corresponding shares for London are 17%, 35% and 48% respectively.

For the post-Games period (2013-17), a legacy effect worth £1.27bn is forecast for the UK and £0.88bn for London. These gains are generated largely by higher numbers of visitors from emerging markets for UK tourism (primarily from China, India and Russia), who decide to visit the country/city as a consequence of the media exposure and publicity associated with the Games.