Amadeus Reports Increase in Travel to London for Olympics

The number of people arriving in London the day before the London 2012 Olympics begin is up 143 percent over the same day a year earlier, according to an analysis of all in-bound air travel reservations for London on July 26, the day before the Olympics. When looking at arrivals over the four days before the Olympics start, numbers are up 31 percent over the same period a year ago.

According to the study, conducted by Amadeus and Forward Data, travelers from U.S. airports have taken the lead in early bookings with analysis showing an 82 percent surge in bookings to London as early as August 2011 when compared to the same period last year. Currently, travelers originating in the U.S. represent 17 percent of scheduled arrivals, but German travelers are in hot pursuit, representing 11 percent of scheduled arrivals during the period of analysis. When considered in relative terms, Estonia is recording the largest increase in visitors to London with a 14-fold increase in arrivals during the Games.

In addition, the traditionally successful Olympic nations of Jamaica (four-fold increase) and Brazil (three-fold increase) show the largest relative growth in scheduled arrivals for long-haul travel.

The Olympics are also having a ripple effect for cities like Brussels, Amsterdam and Paris, which are all linked to London by high-speed rail. All three cities have registered surges in arrivals during the period of the Games. During the three-week period of the Olympics, scheduled arrivals in Brussels are up 49 percent compared to 2011, Amsterdam is up 28 percent, and Paris is up 5 percent. These figures suggest that travelers are increasingly adopting high-speed rail links in conjunction with air travel in order to reach London.

Meanwhile, Londoners are staying home. Analysis of scheduled departures from all London airports shows that Londoners are 11 percent more likely to stay in the city during the Olympics period than they did in 2011. This finding suggests that, contrary to popular opinion, Londoners are not flocking en mass to rent out their homes and travel abroad. Instead, it seems that the vast majority of Londoners are keen to play an active role in the event.