London Banter - View Single Post

Paul Terry · March 15th 07, 06:21 PM posted to uk.transport.london

In message ,
writes

I am not prepared to put up with any extra outgoings from my wallet or
any inconvenience caused by them .

Its probable that a certain amount of tourist income will be generated,
but experience shows that it usually falls well short of the estimates
(remember those thousands of empty seats in the broadcasts from
Athens?).

I've never been wholly persuaded by the "regeneration" arguments. Of
course, Barcelona is always rightly quoted as the classic example - but
there the Olympics opened-up a seafront that was hitherto an industrial
wasteland and revitalised old attractions on the beautiful Montjuic
site. East London may need regeneration, but rest assured that millions
of tourists won't be flocking to Stratford once the games have ended.

if the frogs want em let em have em I say

They never did. I was in Paris just before the Olympic bid, and there
was absolutely minimal publicity or enthusiasm. A couple of hotel owners
I spoke to actually said that the bid would ruin the Parisian economy
and totally distort their lucrative tourist income. One of them did have
the courtesy to thank me that London's mistake would relieve them of
decades of debt (and that was well before London's escalating costs were
revealed).

The Olympics is a bit like going to the Opera - its great if someone
else is paying.

--
Paul Terry