The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said today that, as well as being the most successful ever, the 2012 Olympic Games had exceeded many expectations with records smashed not just by our outstanding TeamGB athletes but right across the capital, from transport to tourism.
London has kept moving with record numbers using the transport system including more than 60 million journeys made on the Tube over the last two weeks of sporting action as nearly a million people visited the capital to stay and a further 5.5 million made day trips. An 88,000 strong army of volunteers was recruited to help people get to their destinations, greeted with a warm welcome, proving to be a highlight of the Games so far.
This record influx and movement of people is transferring into solid economic returns as the West End retail sector expects to see £250 million pour in on the back of the Games over the next 100 days boosting already high confidence in an area where 50 new store openings are planned in the coming months. Visa’s spend tracker has shown increased transactions up nearly 20 per cent in London’s restaurants and almost 25 per cent in the capital’s nightclubs. Theatre and other ticket sales have been boosted by huge 114 per cent.
More importantly hundreds of millions of people at home and abroad have been watching the Olympic Games including 1 billion for the Opening Ceremony alone. They will have seen what our great city has to offer as well as how brilliantly London and Britain can put on major global events. Recognising this being the first social media Games, Facebook has seen world wide mentions of London at four times higher than normal since the lighting of the Olympic flame.
The Mayor has been using the last two weeks to shamelessly promote London to investors who are in town for the sport by hosting nearly 200 international business leaders and showing them the huge opportunities London has to offer. A further 3,000 people have attended London House to take part in the Mayor’s business programme resulting in 25 serious business leads emerging. It has been estimated London 2012 could generate around £13 billion of economic benefits in the coming years.
London can now turn to delivering its legacy with great confidence knowing that it has hit all its milestones on the road to the 2012 Games on time and budget. It has also secured the future of six out of the eight venues on the Olympic Park - something that had never been achieved before – with serious and credible plans on the table for the Olympic Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centre.
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “London has just put on the best record breaking Olympics Games ever. TeamGB’s performance has amazed and thrilled us all and the medal haul has made Britain so proud. The doom mongers are on the back foot and we are going to prove them wrong further as we deliver an equally successful Paralympic Games and build on the legacy we are already seeing emerge from our efforts.
“However none of this could have been achieved without all those involved on the road to 2012 putting in breathtaking performances just like our fantastic Team GB. From Seb’s team to the thousands who built the venues and infrastructure, those who kept London working, to the huge army of volunteers - we thank you.
“In particular I want to thank tens of thousands who have made this all possible from a range of partner organisations, including our fantastic police and emergency services, the Armed Forces and security personnel, Transport for London staff and all transport workers. They have not only ensured we have enjoyed a smooth, safe and secure Olympic Games but also given a warm and friendly British welcome to all our guests.”
LOCOG Chair Sebastian Coe said: “As the Olympic Flame was extinguished last night, it was a poignant moment. Yes, there was some sadness that these fantastic Games are over, but there was also tremendous pride at what we, as a country, have achieved and the magnificent opportunity we have created for our city and our country. What we have witnessed in these last two weeks is a succession of iconic sporting moments that will inspire a generation. On behalf of London 2012 I would like to say thank you to the athletes, to the spectators, to our brilliant Games Makers, to people all around the UK who cheered on Team GB and to our stakeholders and sponsors. When our time came, Britain we did it right.”
Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt said:
"The Government is very proud to have played a key role in delivering such a fantastic Games, but the real credit goes to the athletes, volunteers and everyone who has worked so hard to make London 2012 so incredible. The past two weeks have been amazing for the country - bringing people together like never before, and showcasing the very best of Britain to a global audience. The challenge is now is to deliver the real and lasting legacy that we have been planning for so long - and we are determined to do that."
Notes to editors
Transport
During the Games the Tube, DLR and London Overground carried more people than at any other time in their respective histories.
Over 60 million journeys were made on the Tube - up 30 per cent on normal levels, the DLR saw over 6 million journeys - up by over 100 per cent on normal levels, and London Overground saw nearly 6 million journeys - up by 47 per cent on normal levels.
- The Emirates Air Line has carried more than 500,000 people since it was first launched and carried 31,964 passengers on Saturday 11 August 2012, the most passengers ever recorded.
London House
- The Mayor’s ambitious business engagement programme is targeting key international investors and business people through a range of events and meetings, including through City Hall converted to London House, showing why the capital is the number one place in which to invest and grow a business.
- London House has hosted over 3,000 people and has created huge opportunities to attract investment into the city creating jobs and growth.
BT London Live
- Outside the Olympic venues, over 1 million people watched the Games on big screens at London’s Live Sites, located at Victoria Park and Hyde Park.
- BT London Live allows Londoners and visitors to the capital to watch all of the sporting action on giant, state of the art screens, as well as live music and entertainment from some of the UK’s top artists and performers
- BT London Live is a partnership between the Mayor of London, The Royal Parks and The London Borough of Tower Hamlets, and is a key part of the citywide programme of events being organised by the Mayor of London to celebrate the London 2012 Games.
Team London Ambassadors
- 8,000 Team London Ambassadors have been recruited to offer support, advice and directions to millions of people during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In total, the Ambassadors are delivering 240,000 hours of volunteering.
- Since 2008, the Mayor's Team London programme have galvanised tens of thousands of Londoners into action and Team London is now seeking to encourage an additional 10,000 volunteers by May 2012. Please visit www.london.gov.uk/teamlondon for more information
Mayor of London Presents
- The Mayor of London is supporting a huge programme of free events and cultural activities to add to the excitement of 2012. Working with outstanding international artists and world-class cultural organisations this unprecedented Mayor of London Presents programme is taking place in every corner of the capital to add to and complement the London 2012 Festival.
- As well as Parade: Our Greatest Team, it includes Secrets: Hidden London, with artists and performers transforming hidden and lesser known locations; Showtime, the largest outdoor arts festival ever seen in the capital, with dozens of electrifying artists from the UK and abroad coming to every borough, in high streets, parks and town centres; and Surprises bringing pop-up performances and once in a lifetime experiences to locations familiar and unusual, above your heads and atop landmark buildings.
- For more information about this Summer Like No Other, go to www.molpresents.com / www.facebook.com/mayoroflondonpresents / www.twitter.com/molpresents
Parade: Our Greatest Team
- The British athletes competing in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games are to be honoured with a parade through the streets of the capital.
- Called Our Greatest Team and bringing together Team GB and Paralympics GB athletes, the parade will take place on Monday 10 September.
- Further details on this, including confirmation of the route, will be published shortly.
London Media Centre
- Over 8,600 UK & international media registered to the London Media Centre venue from 102 countries, with 600 from China alone.
- The organisation of the London Media Centre is being coordinated by London & Partners – the official promotional agency for London, the Greater London Authority, VisitBritain, Transport for London (TfL), Film London and the Government Olympic Executive (GOE), which is part of the DCMS.
- For more information on the LMC partners go to: http://londonmediacentre.synapticdigital.com/About-Us
London 2012 Paralympic Games
- London will host the biggest ever Paralympic Games with around 4,200 athletes from 150 countries taking part in 11 days of competition.
- To add to Paralympic celebrations, The Mayor of London's Liberty Festival marks ten years as one of London's foremost showcases of deaf and disabled artists when it returns to the capital as a centrepiece event during the 2012 Paralympic Games.
- The Mayor is supporting BT London Live Trafalgar Square, which is free to attend and runs from 29 August – 9 September. Channel 4’s coverage of the Paralympic Games beamed live on a giant screen in Trafalgar Square with daily appearances from Paralympic medallists.
- There will be music performances on the main stage every day at 1300-1330 and 1900–1945 from artists including Gino Washington & the Ram Jam Band, Musical Youth and The Beat.
Creating a lasting legacy for London
- London is more advanced than any other city in advancing legacy plans and have secured the future of six out of the eight venues on the Olympic Park - with serious and credible plans on the table for the Olympic Stadium and the Press and Broadcast Centre.
- The overall legacy on the Park will create up to 8,000 permanent jobs on the park by 2030 plus 2,500 temporary construction jobs.
- Five new neighbourhoods will be developed over 20 years, with 3 schools, 9 nurseries, 3 health centres and 29 playgrounds.
- Up to 8,000 new homes will be built in addition to the 2,800 homes in the athletes’ village. There target is to secure 35% affordable housing.
After the Games, the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) will begin a £300m construction project to transform the Olympic site into the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.