LONDON — The Olympics brought less tourist money to recession-hit Britain than businesses had hoped for, a trade group said Monday, with a majority of tourist companies reporting losses from last year.
A survey of more than 250 tour operators, hoteliers and visitor attractions found that tourist traffic fell all over Britain, not just in London, said UKinbound, a leading trade association representing British tour operators and other businesses dependent on tourists.
“A lot of people thought London would be very busy and very expensive at this time,” said Mary Rance, the group’s chief executive. “We weren’t completely surprised, but we were a bit disappointed that (the Olympics) seem to have had an impact around the U.K., not just London.”
The group’s survey said that of its members, 88 percent reported some sales declines during the Games compared with the same period last year. The businesses reported that visitor numbers were down by 10 to 30 percent compared with last year, Rance said.
