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Economic impact of the Tour de France
06 July 2007
The Tour de France – the world’s biggest annual sporting event - is set to bring £37million additional revenue into the South East, marking a significant milestone as the region continues to build its reputation as a major international destination for sports tourism and successful businesses.
The Tour de France will provide not only a global, one-off opportunity for Kent to showcase its glorious scenery and historic buildings, but also demonstrate its ability to stage a huge and complex spectacle in the run up to the London Olympics. For businesses, it reinforces the message that Kent is a prime location and a key gateway to Europe and beyond.
In total, partners including Transport for London, the London Development Agency, Kent County Council, Medway Council and Canterbury City Council have spent £7 million on bringing the Tour de France to London and Kent.
The South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) invested £400,000 in order to secure the South East the race, which is set to achieve huge returns for the tourist industry and showcase Kent as a key destination for world-class sporting events.
Revenue is expected to generate income for Kent businesses dealing in sectors from accommodation to food and drink, souvenirs and travel. Hotels have been steadily filling up in the months prior to the race.
SEEDA Chairman Jim Brathwaite said: “As we bid for, and stage, future internationally-significant sporting occasions, the expertise, new partnerships being forged, and the professional image we
present to the world through the Tour de France will be invaluable going forward. There is a constant need to build capacity and expertise with tourism businesses and the public sector during the build-up to 2012.”
As part of SEEDA’s Regional Economic Strategy for the South East 2006 - 2016, agencies and key partners from across the region developed and launched in May the ‘South East Offer for 2012: Compete, Create, Collaborate’, setting out key priorities to ensure that the opportunities presented by the 2012 Games are maximised for the region as a whole.
In 2005 Tourism South East, SEEDA, Culture South East and Sport England commissioned a Major Sports Events Strategy Framework for the region. The research showed that major sports events have a significant impact on the quality of life in the region. Key opportunities identified included tourism, regeneration, employment, volunteer development, sports development legacy and the development of infrastructure.
The research demonstrated that these events don’t only just attract more business and leisure visitors, but also raise the profile of the regional offer, attracting inward investors and making the South East special and distinctive.
Sports tourism, across both spectator and active/participative sports experiences, contributes an estimated £2.5billion+ annually to the South East economy. SEEDA, TSE and Sport England South East are working together to bring further major sporting events into the region (delivering increased visitors and additional spend) - and to develop the huge active sports tourism market.
The Tour de France, taking place this weekend, plus the Tour of Britain stage in Hampshire and Berkshire this September, have given the tourism industry the chance to develop integrated spectator and active sports initiatives, providing a major focus for promoting cycling-based holidays, special routes and rides throughout the region.
It is estimated that 17 million leisure day cycling trips (with cycling as the primary or secondary reason) are taken in the South East each year by UK residents. Combined with cycling holidays that include an overnight stay and overseas visitors’ cycling breaks, the value of this market is estimated at c£350 million per year - so cycling is a big business.
Hosting the Tour de France is bringing strategic benefits to the region including advanced event management skills, innovative marketing and a ‘joined up’ approach by the tourism industry to welcoming visitors. Some 3 million visitors are expected to line the route and the race will also provide the region with a massive global profile (predicted 2.2 billion TV audience).
TSE initiatives in the ‘active’ sports tourism market include helping businesses develop quality new products across cycling, walking, golf and equestrian tourism*.
The first ever Sports Tourism Award (part of the Tourism ExSEllence Awards 2007) has been launched by TSE, supported by Sport England South East, to further highlight the growth potential of this sector and recognise outstanding existing sports tourism businesses.
A major drive is also underway to improve customer service skills in time to welcome more international visitors for 2012. TSE’s industry-leading Welcome to Excellence customer care training courses include Welcome International - designed to prepare organisations for tackling the cultural issues, differences and expectations of overseas visitors.
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