2012 Olympics
Visitors to the 2012 Games
What we know about visitors to The Games
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Around 70,000 people are expected to attend the Games in London. There are, however, wide ranging estimates of the number of people who may be spectators at the sailing events in Weymouth & Portland. The Candidature File for the London 2012 bid used estimates of 10,000 visitors per day coming into Weymouth & Portland, but the true figure could be much higher.
For many people, the opportunity to experience the Games at ‘home’ coupled with the geography of Portland and Weymouth Bay with advances in large-screen technology allowing visitors to view the sailing courses means that visitor numbers could be much higher than earlier estimates or other Games suggest. Additionally, sailing is one of Team GB’s most successful sports.
Research by Bournemouth University[1] indicates there are far too many unknowns to be able to accurately estimate the number of increased visitors, both ‘day’ and ’stay’ visitors, who will come to Dorset as a result of the Games. Looking at an increased level of activity between 2006 and 2011, tourist spend could increase by up to £1.6m per year which represents an increase of 2.2% per year. Bournemouth University estimates the total cumulative impact of increased visitor spends could be in the order of £9.6m over the 6 years. If such a trend continued for the 6 years after the Games, then a total figure of £19.2m would be recorded over the 12-year period.
What we do know is that visitors will spend their money and return to an area time and again, if they receive a warm welcome and have a positive ‘visitor experience’.
[1] Paper on Olympic Effects in Weymouth & Portland and the South West Region 2012 by Professor J Fletcher, Bournemouth University dated February 2006.
