§ Mr. SandersTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the potential benefits to non-London tourist centres of holding the 2012 Olympics. [97930]
§ Tessa JowellThe additional tourism benefits of the Olympics and Paralympics outside London and the South East have been estimated at between £100 million652W and £190 million, reflecting the expected increase in expenditure by overseas and domestic visitors during the period of both the Olympics and Paralympics.
The estimates do not include any wider or longer-term effects outside London that hosting an Olympics would have on inbound and domestic tourism. Nor have we sought to break down the estimate by individual region. However, as the BTA said in its recent submission to the CMS Select Committee, there can be little doubt that the staging of a successful Olympics would be beneficial in the longer-term for inbound tourism, providing an unparalleled opportunity to showcase the wider UK as well as London. This is a view that has been endorsed by a number of organisations, including Advantage West Midlands and the South West Regional Assembly.