Visitors to World Travel Market can quiz tourism experts on Monday on whether the London Olympics will justify the investment, amid concern about spiralling costs.
A Question Time panel hosted by the Tourism Society will include representatives of Visit London, VisitBritain, Tourism Australia and the Association of Greek Tourist Enterprises.
Visit London believes the Games will bring £2.9 billion in tourism revenue and VisitBritain points out Athens saw an 11% rise in visitors a year after hosting the 2004 Olympics.
However, Liberal Democrat spokesman for culture, media and sport Don Foster warned: “The spiralling cost of these Olympics have made the balancing act between holding the Games and benefiting from them more difficult.”
He said grass-roots sports in Britain will suffer “to the tune of £525 million”.
Peter Cave, of the University of Central Lancashire department of tourism, has also warned of “major risks to tourism” from the Games. He recently wrote: “It is far easier to raise the profile of a less well known destination than one that is already well known.
- Date: Monday November 10
- Time: 3pm
- Location: Platinum Suite 4