Getting Ready for 2012
In March 2008, Tourism South East, on behalf of the South East Partnership (SEP) for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games launched the On your Marks…Get Set…Go! Visitor Economy Strategy and Action Plans. The Strategy established that the South East region stands to benefit from an extra £1bn over the period 2008-2016 and identified a number of key programmes for Games Related and/or Games Motivated activities.
Since then, Tourism South East, SEEDA and partners have put in place a number of programmes to create a world class region and to secure a legacy that lasts long after the Games are over. In March 2010, this strategy
was refreshed and relaunched.
The Visitor Economy Strategy is seen as a fundamental strand of the SEP’s Triple Gold approach. It is encompassed within the ‘New Markets’ programme which focuses on delivering an economic legacy by creating and promoting new market opportunities in tourism and improving customer service, business skills and profitability. Further details can be found via the South East Partnership website or in the latest report on Triple Gold.
The Global Image and Awareness programme will deliver an increased awareness of the South East in both domestic and overseas markets, targeting both consumers and trade.
One of the key markets is Business Tourism in the form of Meetings, Incentives, Conference and Events (MICE). Further details can be found here on 2012 Marketing Opportunities.
Beautiful South 12' goes live! Only one year to go! Our website has a new section providing a central link to programmes and events as they develop. Details on venues from Dorney Lake (rowing), Surrey (cycling) and Weymouth and Portland (sailing), Brands Hatch (Paralympic road race) and the overnight stops for the torch are included. Contact us if you know of any suitable links you think should be included.
The London 2012 Business Network Opportunities are being offered to South East businesses in the run up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. If any members are interested in tendering for the opportunities attached you will need to do so through the CompeteFor website. You will need to log onto the site if you are already registered and then use the ‘opportunity search’ tab to search for the opportunity title from the bulletin. From there you will need to complete the detailed tender documentation.
Customer Service - Welcome Host Gold was launched in the South East region in spring 2010. The one-day programme is the newest addition to the nationally acclaimed Welcome to Excellence suite of customer care programmes for the service sector and is designed for those with a desire to offer world class service. It is estimated that over 10,000 participants will be taking part in the Welcome suite of courses in the run up to 2012. Courses can be specifically tailored to a business or destination and participants can also achieve a Level 2 City & Guilds qualification.
Sports Events and Pre Games Training Camps - The increasing importance of tourism generated by sports events was recognised in the On Your Marks strategy with a target to attract major sporting events to the region in the build up to London 2012. Support is specifically being given to sports events involving people with disabilities. The promotion of the region as a base for training camps for the Olympic and Paralympic teams is also a big priority for the South East. Attracting international teams to the region in the lead up to the 2012 Games will result in significant economic and cultural benefits.
Full details can be found in the Hosting the World brochure. (Please note the file is 7Mb.)
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ccessibility - As the birthplace of the Paralympic Games, the South East aims to raise the profile of developing and promoting access for the disabled in the South East Region. Through the Accentuate Project, Tourism South East is leading on several initiatives including Destination Access Audits, Welcome All training, promotion of the National Accessible Scheme (NAS) and improved website searchability. Practical guidance can be found in the free, online 'think access Q-book' it explains how easy it can be to make your business more accessible, attract a wider range of visitors and realise your full potential.
Games Related Areas (GRAs) - Specific geographical areas have been identified that could benefit particularly during the period of the Games - Eton Dorney, Heathrow, Gatwick, Kent and the Solent. The region should directly benefit from its association with three Olympic and Paralympic venues - the rowing and flat water canoeing at Dorney Lakes, the Olympic cycling road race in Surrey and the sailing at Weymouth. Major gateways in the UK at Heathrow, Gatwick and in Kent will be key to the quality of welcome international visitors will receive. Action plans have been created for each area to attain the maximum benefit from the Games.
The Cultural Olympiad is inspired by the founder of the modern Olympic movement, Pierre de Coubertin’s idea of a marriage of sport and the arts and is designed to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic values in the cultural field. It is playing an important part in developing innovative and creative community events in the region inspired by the Games.
One of the highlights of the Cultural Olympiad in the South East is the The Tree of Light project which is only one of four ‘Community Celebrations’ in the UK supported Legacy Trust UK.
Two of the events will be in England with one in both Scotland and Northern Ireland. It will comprise five spectacular events that will take place in the Thames region giving more than one thousand participants from Oxford, Reading, Henley, Windsor and Slough the chance to take part in all the excitement of 2012. The centre piece of the project will be a giant sculpted Tree of Lightlit by low energy LED light and powered by sustainable energy largely generated by cyclists and rowers from each local community
The Torch Relay - The Olympic Flame arrives in the UK on Friday 18 May from Greece and the Torch Relay starts on 19 May, 2012. It will travel around the UK for 70 days arriving in London on the day before the Opening Ceremony on 27 July. There will be 8,000 torchbearers with 120 per day covering between 80-100 miles – over half of the torchbearers will be under 24 years old. There will be a lunch stop and an evening stop-over City Celebration every day providing a major opportunity to showcase the region’s cities, towns, areas of outstanding natural beauty and iconic landmarks as well as for community celebrations and engagement. The Paralympic Torch Relay is much shorter and will take place in August in between the closing ceremony of the Olympics and the start of the Paralympics. Further details can be found on the London 2012 website.
Useful links
VisitBritain has launched a comprehensive website which gives valuable guidance on how businesses can benefit from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games including examples of best practice from around the UK.
