In essence, VisitBritain is trying to reverse the Olympics hangover trend by deploying aggressive new tactics. Having watched and learned from past Olympics, the British tourism industry is working overtime to make sure it encourages the quick return of leisure travel, which took a sizeable hit during the Games.
The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) reported that visitation to London during the Games fell far short of expectations.
"In fairness to those people who said that there would be a million extra visitors coming to London, I don't think that was a statement that was supposed to be treated seriously," said Tom Jenkins, executive director of the ETOA.
The ETOA said that London normally welcomes about 300,000 foreign and 800,000 domestic tourists daily during the month of August. After surveying hotels and conducting straw polls, the ETOA roughly estimates that during the Games, London hotels were occupied by a bit more than 60,000 foreign guests per night. That contrasts sharply with previous Summer Games hosts Sydney, which hosted about 25,000 per night; Athens, with 13,000; and Beijing, with 27,000
(Sept 19, 2012 Travel Weekly)