Olympian Backs Tourism Bid
“Get planning and get training now!” double Olympic gold medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes has urged Kent’s tourism industry.
As the guest of honour at a 2012 discussion forum held by the Kent Tourism Alliance (KTA) in Maidstone on Tuesday 31st October , Dame Kelly told a packed auditorium that business success mirrored sporting success.
“You have to plan, you have to have a target and you have to put the preparation in. The games are only six years away, it’s not a long time and unless we start now, we will miss the boat.”
Joining Stephanie Holt from Kent County Council’s 2012 Campaign and speakers from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), VisitBritain and Tourism South East, the Kent born Olympic athlete gave her views on the tourism opportunities of 2012.
Kent she said is ‘an amazing place’ with the location, the access and the space to play a key role in London 2012. While the regeneration of the Thames Gateway was highlighted by Dame Kelly as a prime opportunity to provide quality sports and visitor facilities on London’s doorstep, the rest of the county learnt it must also compete for Olympic scale rewards.
VisitBritain estimates 50-70% of the economic benefits of 2012 will be won by the tourism industry, with potential revenue in the region of £2 billion.
Outlining the strategies the KTA and its tourism partners are developing Sandra Matthews-Marsh, chief executive of the KTA said: “The biggest opportunities for Kent lie in increasing our profile as a leading visitor destination - not just in 2012 - but from here onwards.”
From 2007, the KTA is embarking on a high profile five-year campaign to promote Kent as the shortbreak destination of choice for London residents, visitors and commuters. In Kent the KTA is focussing on getting Kent people ‘really excited’ about the county with the launch of Big Day Out – an annual day of free entry to Kent’s leading tourist attractions.
Sandra concluded: “What happens in London, affects Kent and as we have heard today, people power makes or breaks a successful Olympic campaign. We will focus on people skills, training and the warmest of welcomes so that by 2012 everyone in London, and beyond, will have heard of Kent.”
For further information visit www.ktanet.co.uk
