UK IMMIGRATION NEWS

Olympics could generate £2 billion for the UK

Saturday, 22 September 2007

The influx of tourism to the UK for the 2012 Olympics in London could mean an addition of over £2 billion for the UK economy. Almost £1.5 billion of that could be directed to the London economy alone.

VisitBritian, the UK’s tourism authority, has indicated that the economic forecast will only come true with proper planning. Much of the Olympic tourism will come from countries like India, China, Malaysia, and Mexico.

Some of this may pose challenge for UK immigration officials, as these tourism contributing countries are visa national countries. This means that passport holders will require visas in order to visit the UK, even for a brief stint viewing the Olympics.

Before, during and after the 2012 Olympics, the UK may see a large increase in visitor visa applications.