The RideLondon festival will pass through next month.
One year on from the London Olympics, a new study has revealed that visitors who flocked to Kingston spent an estimate £5million over three days.
Around 50,000 visitors spent £1.7million during the cycling road races in the borough, with boosts for hotels, pubs and restaurants, although larger retailers did suffer a small loss in income due to some road closures.
The report, carried out by Kingston University, said that the negative impact recorded by larger stores should not overshadow the substantial economic gains.
“Logistically the majority of business thought the events were well planned and extremely well executed. It was considered the information and the whole planning process was very well done,” said the report.
It also found that most businesses saw the occasion as a big success and that it had a great impact on community spirit.
Councillor Simon James, Kingston Council’s Lead Member for Sport and Olympic Legacy, said that the Olympics were a fantastic success for Kingston.
“The council, businesses and the community responded positively to the challenge of hosting such large-scale events and managing huge crowds. There was a real feel-good factor,” he said.
“The eyes of the world were on us and people saw that Kingston is a place where things happen.
“We want to understand all the Olympics effects, positive and negative, and the lessons from this research will influence our planning for big events in the future.”
The borough is aiming to build on last year’s success when the RideLondon cycling festival passes through Kingston next month.
The full report is at http://www.kingston.ac.uk/aboutkingstonuniversity/in-the-community/documents/rbk_olympic_impact_study.pdf.
Photo courtesy of EEPaul, with thanks.
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