The travel industry is “delusional” if it expects inbound tourism to benefit from the London 2012 Olympic Games, the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) has claimed.
Speaking at ETOA’s 19th Global European Marketplace event today (November 5), ETOA president Jack Coronna said: “We are a travel industry that does not need the Olympic Games. It is a sporting event and should not be confused with travel and tourism. Those of us who rely on travel for our livelihood see it as a threat.”
Research by ETOA into the impact of the Olympic Games on host cities Beijing, Athens, Sydney and Atlanta, revealed that visitor numbers peak during the games but drop dramatically before and after the event.
Visitor arrivals to Beijing were 30% down on the previous year in the month before the games, said ETOA. In the month after the games, the slump continued with arrivals more than 20% down. Growth in tourism to Australia also stalled when the games were held in Sydney in 2000.
ETOA executive director Tom Jenkins said London must work on offering something that will appeal to visitors independently of the Games. He said: “It is vital for Europe that London has a successful Games and does not deter people from visiting.
“We hope London is going to be unique – but to be successful the industry has got learn from what happened in Sydney and Beijing. There is no room for complacency.”