3 September 2007

What Does 2012 Mean for the North?

We are assured by the government that the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will present unrivalled opportunities to grow Britain's visitor economies.

With teams from 204 countries worldwide and a potential global television audience of over 4 billion spectators, there is certainly great potential for the Games to reach new markets. We have an opportunity to boost domestic holiday taking and to create real appeal for the Britain and London brands in emerging markets. However, will the economic benefits really be spread throughout the whole of the UK?

One wonders whether tourism in North Wales and the North West will be significantly boosted. If there is a lasting legacy, will it be for London and Southern England only? How can we, as leaflet marketing specialists, take full advantage of the situation?

We would love to get some feedback on this issue.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Apparently a big football event is being hosted at Old Trafford and there are some other major events in the pipeline.

Paula Bardell-Hedley said...

Good point. It would seem that the North West Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Sport England have joined regional partners to form a Steering Group for the 2012 Games. They are currently developing a comprehensive benefits plan for the North West and have promised to work closely with regional business, tourism and cultural organisations, choosing partners to lead on specific topic areas and also make sure everyone in the region knows about our work.

I haven't heard about anything big happening in North Wales as yet. I fear that South Wales and the Millennium Stadium will probably benefit most from the Games.

jamessmith82 said...

I have not been a fan of hosting the games from the beginning. I feel that we will overspend on it and put unnecessary pressure on the British economy. However, there is the possiblity of tourism resulting from this, but I think that Wales and the North of England will need to promote themselves. The South tends to support themselves and 'forget' the rest of the country, and we've got a lot to offer. As for sporting events, the South has a monopoly over the rest of Britain. Look at the Rugby League Challenge Cup, which for the last 7 years has been played at The Millenium Stadium or Murryfield, and has had full crowds and great atmopsheres. This year the event returned to the 'capital' and the event was a joke. The was little promotion in the South, and the stadium was half empty due to Club Wembely members owning seats and not using them. I think that for the games to be a success, something must be done about this.