Surprising Impact of Olympics on London Tourism - as part of the news series by GeoBeats.
One would expect a higher number of visitors to London attractions during the Olympics however, tourism actually seems to be suffering. Local businesses, theaters, museums, and taxicab services are all reporting lower numbers of tourists than normal for this time of the year. The chief executive of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, said visitor numbers were down by between 30 and 35 percent according to United Kingdom news source the Independent. Taxi cab drivers have seen a 20 to 40 percent decrease in business depending on the time of day, and the British Museum is down 25 to 30 percent from this time last year.
There are fewer European tour groups than normal and according to Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt, "It is very difficult to predict what will actually happen to consumer spending… during something like an Olympic games because the upheaval is so huge." Despite the downturn in tourism, the British government is not backing down on its prediction of a 13 billion pound economic boon for London during the Olympic games.
