Ask the expert

How will tourism businesses in the South West benefit from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games?

Answered by our Expert: Malcolm Bell - Director of South West Tourism

Published: May 2009 

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will present many potential opportunities for the whole of the region, such as:

Journalists

In 2011 and 2012 there will be thousands of journalists keen to write, record and film interesting stories.  We can work together to attract as many as possible into the South West and get the coverage that will help drive visitors to our region in 2012, and the years that follow.

The Cultural Olympiad

There will be a year of festivals and events across the region to celebrate 2012 and this will give us all a chance to benefit by featuring the programme details on our websites, and in our promotional activities.

Training Camps

We will have training camps in our region and that will give us the chance to target those countries and build strong awareness and interest in our region.  This combined with good promotion can generate more visitors into the South West.

Enjoy the Games in the South West

There will be many people in the country that will stay at home to watch the Games, but there will be more that will have a passing interest who would want a holiday and the chance to see the top events on screen. So ensure your business features the opportunity to have your cake and eat it, for example, holidays with big screen access and the chance to enjoy the games with others on holiday - this could be a real win-win.

Lasting Legacy

There will be long term tourism benefits of the Games including building on the immense media overage the Games will generate, improvements to the tourism infrastructure, putting the South West on the map, and demonstrating the region is a creative, inclusive and welcoming place to live, visit and conduct business.

In the future South West Tourism will offer tips and advice on how you can be ready to capitalise on the opportunities the Olympics presents.

Further Information

The report below highlights the potential benefits the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have in the South West region and outlines the South West Regional Development Agency's and South West Tourism's work to capitalise on this. Click on the image to view the report.