Olympic London is quiet – go out and enjoy it!

It is not only Olympic venues that are reporting empty seats. There are also reports of empty beds, empty queue lanes and empty venues. The capital’s streets and transport networks do not appear to have been hit by the anticipated deluge of tourists, attracted by the Olympics.

Sarah Long from Visit England confirmed to Channel 4 News the number of visitors does appear to be lower than expected: “Anecdotally, from Alva (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions) we know that places are struggling. Attractions have had a difficult couple of months due to the weather and poor economic conditions.

But she pointed out: “This is a great time to enjoy London. Queues are shorter, opening hours are longer and many attractions are putting on special exhibitions to celebrate the Games and this special year.”

It is far too early to say exactly what has been the impact on tourist numbers but despite the increased number of attractions and special events, people appear not to be taking advantage of them.

The anticipated boom has certainly not hit the high street. Earlier in July, figures from the Office of National Statistics showed retail sales increased by just 0.1 per cent in June compared with the month before. Sales were 1.6 per cent up on June 2011.

Olympic windfall

Also, in their effort to keep things running smoothly, some places say officials have instead kept visitors away from areas which would benefit from extra custom.

For example, traders in Greenwich complained over the weekend that spectators were being shepherded around the market, depriving them of a potential Olympic windfall.

Visit England’s Sarah Long says the organisation has been working hard since the spring to persuade those who are spending their Summer in the UK to take advantage of what is currently on offer: “We launched a campaign in March because we anticipated a ‘potential sag’ over the summer, to encourage people to get out there and enjoy the destination on their doorstep.

“We’re telling people it’s a fantastic time to get out and do things because this is a year like no other and we’re hoping the swell of national pride will inspire people to take a holiday at home this year.”

To put a positive spin on things, the transport systems have so far not collapsed into a logistical armageddon and there is plenty to see and do if you know where to look.

And as Sarah Long says, we are still in the early stages of Olympomania: “It’s too soon to say in terms of visitor numbers, we probably won’t know until November how it’s gone.

“But people do tend to book late so hopefully improved weather and the feel-good factor of the Olympics will give the industry a boost.”