What will an Olympic Games based in London bring to the South West?

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been hailed as an opportunity to develop sport, increase tourism and increase economic activity throughout the UK.  With the spotlight on the UK and the region for 2012, tourism businesses have an unrivalled opportunity to present a positive picture as a destination.  There will no doubt be an increased interest in the region attracting international media attention, which will showcase the South West to a national and global audience.

The South West is home to almost 5 million people and hosts more than 26 million visitors each year. It is a region characterised by incredible natural beauty, with more than 1000 km of coastline dotted with sandy beaches, and over a third of the area designated as National Parks or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The South West is also home to England’s only natural World Heritage Site: the Jurassic Coast, whose cliffs at Portland and Weymouth Bay will provide the backdrop to the London 2012 Games sailing events. This is, of course, the big event for us in the South-West during this time it is expected that hundreds of thousands of additional people will visit the area.

In addition to the events, there are more than 75,000 contracts worth more than £6 billion available across every aspect of the 2012 Games. Companies of all sizes, across a diverse range of sectors can benefit. Our proximity to London and reputation for business excellence makes the South West a key source for contract winners. The opportunity to draw attention to the region’s products and services will be unprecedented for present and future business.  Capitalising on the region’s strengths will maximise the potential and enable us to minimise the risks that the London 2012 Games will bring.

In addition to the money it brings to businesses through tourism, if we look at past Olympic Games as an example; teams training and staying in the area will inject an estimated £30m into the economy. Sporting centres of excellence such as the University of Bath, Millfield School in Somerset and Badminton will also expect to benefit with the Olympics coming to the UK, by providing services and facilities as well as venues for warm-up competitions. We should also expect a big rise in the desire from children to participate in athletic sports. Remember what it is like at Wimbledon time? When kids pick up those tennis rackets and dream to be the next Andy Murray? Well, we can expect children across the nation, adults as well, to be heading out, buying running shoes and joining local athletics clubs. This, of course, can only be a good thing!

The London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will transform people’s lives and revitalise communities throughout the South West. The Games represent the single most significant opportunity in our lifetime to build on the strengths of the region; to develop our business base, involve our communities, drive up sports participation and to inspire our young people to believe in the power of the Olympic ethos, to be the best that they can be.