The upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games will give London the chance the showcase itself as a major tourist destination, a group of industry experts have said.
Meeting in the capital, a host of tourism experts said that the 2012 games would bring record numbers of visitors, both domestic and international to the city and so was a great chance for London to cement its position as a tourist destination.
Bernard Donoghue, head of government & public affairs for VisitBritain, explained that the games in fact represented "a whole month's worth of free advertising for the country" and added that people from the capital need to learn to celebrate their city.
Furthermore, James Bidwell, the organisation's chief executive, pointed out that London was already a world-class tourist destination which would only benefit from increased attention.
He explained that 50 per cent of all overseas visitors to the UK already visit London during their trip and that 15 million tourists visited the capital in 2006.
In addition, the experts also said that the games would help regional tourism around the UK - Richard Dickinson explained that a recent study found that 96 per cent of businesses in the UK thought that London should work with regional tourist boards to boost visits during 2012.
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