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900 Thousand People Expected and Seven Weeks To Go - Is Britain Ready to Cope?

With a countdown of just seven weeks until the opening ceremony of the games, research has revealed that the summer of sport expects to attract 900 thousand people to the capital.
Lifestyle - 8 June 2012   Download IconContent available for download:  
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  News Hooks:

With exactly seven weeks to go until the opening ceremony, research out today reveals that the games period will attract approximately 294 thousand overseas visitors and 587 thousand visitors from the UK – an influx of epic proportions and one never experienced in the whole of the country’s history.

However, this has sparked fears amongst accommodation industry leaders who say there simply won’t be enough rooms to cope with demand.2 Estimates suggest that an extra 17,000 hotel rooms will be required to accommodate tourists,3 but reported price hikes of up by 102% on August last year, have whipped up controversy.

With the average price of a hotel room in London standing at approximately £213 3 this summer and financial pressures still rife, many of the 900 thousand guests will be seeking alternative options. So, just how prepared are we for what will be one of Britain’s most memorable and iconic sporting summers?

. Introduction:

With exactly seven weeks to go until the games period officially commences, research reveals that approximately 900 thousand visitors from the UK and abroad are expected to converge on the capital - an influx larger than the country has ever seen in it’s history. This has sparked concerns amongst accommodation industry leaders who say there simply won’t be enough rooms to cope with demand.

So, is the UK prepared for this huge increase in visitor numbers and what options are there for those who are feeling the pinch so they can avoid the hiked hotel prices?

Joining us to discuss this further is Karim Hardane, Director of Wimdu in the UK.