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Press Releases and Articles BISL HERALDS LONDON'S OLYMPIC WIN INDUSTRY HERALDS LONDON’S WIN AS AN London’s win presents a huge opportunity for growth in the sport, leisure, hospitality and tourism industries, claimed the CEO of Business In Sport and Leisure, Brigid Simmonds, today. Evidence from Euro 96, the Rugby World Cup in 2001 and the Manchester Commonwealth Games in 2000 shows that pubs, restaurants, takeaways, hotels, gambling outlets and many other leisure facilities can win more business over the next ten years. Brigid Simmonds said: “This is a red-letter day for sport and leisure in the UK. This win is the greatest honour that sport can bestow and it not only expresses the confidence of the IOC in London’s sporting credentials, but also its faith that London’s hospitality, leisure and tourism industries are capable of rising to the challenge. The opportunity for the industry must now be to invoke the promethean spirit which brought the Games to London in order to seize the potential for growth and expansion which this win affords. “It is estimated that a typical sporting event raises £500,000 a day with 60 per cent of spectators spending an average of just under £50 a day. The London Marathon generates over £1.2 million in new spending from overseas visitors. It is expected that 50-75% of the net benefit of staging the Games, measured over a 7–10 year period and based on the experience in Sydney, will accrue to tourism. Australia benefited from an extra 1.6 million visitors due to the 2000 Games with the economy gaining more than £2.5 billion between 1997 and 2001. Business Tourism increased both before and after the games. That must be good news for members of BISL.” Business In Sport and Leisure has seconded its Senior Executive, Andy Sutch, to London 2012 for one day a week over the last 18 months. Andy Sutch said: “The work I have undertaken right across all parts of London has brought home the enormous support which exists in the public, private and voluntary sectors to bring the Games to London. The importance of sport has been recognised for the first time by sections of the community who never read the back pages of the newspaper, but who now understand what taking part and reaching your potential can do for their health and fulfilment. This bid has already changed the face of sport and recreation in London” ENDS Notes to Editors: • Business In Sport and Leisure is an umbrella organisation that represents over 100 private sector companies in the sport, leisure and hospitality industry and most of the major operators of commercial leisure facilities in the UK as well as consultants who specialise in this field. • Tourism is worth over £74 billion to the UK economy each year and 26 million visitors come to London each year.
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