The Stage

Exclusive: West End hopes for post-Olympic tourism boost

Published Thursday 23 February 2012 at 12:38 by Natalie Woolman

Theatreland hopes to benefit from a “halo” effect after the Olympics that would boost tourist numbers in the capital from 2013 onwards following the games this summer.

According to research into the legacy of the Olympics published by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, London is expected to benefit from increased tourism after the event. The report states: “By 2013, the displacement effect is expected to be eroded and tourism into London should increase due to the 2012 games.”

Society of London Theatre president Mark Rubinstein said cities that have hosted the Olympics in the past, including Sydney and Athens, have seen a positive impact on tourism for several years after the games themselves. He said this was largely due to TV and press coverage at the time of the sports event.

Rubinstein said: “It’s anecdotal at this point because nobody knows - the bookings this far ahead are going to be scant whatever the year - but the impact on other Olympic cities has been that there is a ‘glow’ effect that impacts for the next three, four, five years.

“The international television coverage of a host city is a fantastic advert for that city, so although the focus of international television will be the games, there will be a lot of background, lifestyle features, and that has got to be good for London, if not in 2012 then up to the next Olympics.”

He added that he expected to see a “halo, a glow” after the Olympics and that SOLT was working with partners including the Mayor of London’s office to push the West End during the games themselves “to make sure that theatre is seen as one of the key things to do in London - that you haven’t seen London, you haven’t done London, until you have been to a West End show”.

Ruth Mackenzie, director of the Cultural Olympiad and the London 2012 Festival, said the Olympics would be a showcase event for the arts in the UK. Speaking at the State of the Arts conference last week, she revealed that of the 40,000 international journalists who are expected to arrive this summer, half do not have tickets to the sporting events. She said: “It is for us to grab them and send them round the country to see some of our wonderful artists.” It is hoped that this media coverage will boost tourism figures in future years.

These forecasts for 2013 come in stark contrast with some predictions for theatregoing during this summer, with Andrew Lloyd Webber claiming that the games period would be a “bloodbath” for London theatre.

Meanwhile, impresario Raymond Gubbay announced earlier this month that he is not staging any shows this summer because of the Olympics. He claimed that “90% of the regular bookings aren’t coming”.