Trade body says UK tourism slumped during Olympics

[August 13, 2012]  LONDON (AP) -- A leading trade association for British tour operators says tourism slumped during the Olympics.

A survey of business traffic commissioned by trade body UKinbound during the three weeks of the London games has found that 82 percent of tourism-oriented businesses suffered lost business versus the same period of 2011. Two-thirds said the numbers of tourists fell more than 10 percent.

The group says a survey of more than 250 tour operators, hoteliers and visitor attractions found that tourist traffic fell all over Britain, not just London.

The group says Monday this illustrates that many travelers chose to skip the U.K. entirely because it would have required travel into London, the U.K.'s dominant point of entry.

[Associated Press]

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