Is tourism a legitimate legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games? An analysis of London 2012 legacy strategy using programme theory

Abstract

One of the foremost impacts used to justify investment in hosting an Olympic and Paralympic Games has been their assumed impact on tourism. However, given the much wider range of socio-economic legacies now being sought from the Games, should tourism impacts remain a leading, or even a legitimate, justification for such investment? This paper explores this question through an exploration of legacy planning, strategy and outcomes for the London 2012 Games, which had the most wide-ranging and legacy ambitions of any Olympic and Paralympic Games to date. The extent to which London 2012 strategically planned for a wide range of socio-economic legacies is reviewed and the efficacy and legitimacy of London 2012's legacy strategy is analysed using programme theory and focusing on questions of attribution and additionality of claimed legacy outcomes. The paper finds that there appear to be genuinely additional legacy outcomes attributable to legitimate legacy strategies in only three areas: enhanced business capacity, additional tourism spending and the regeneration of East London, and thus these should be a particular focus for legacy strategy for future Games. It also finds that the politicisation of legacy led to a concern with seeking to demonstrate the appearance of legacy across as wide a range of socio-economic areas as possible, but that the vast majority of these legacy claims were not legitimate. This political concern is likely to mean that tourism will come to be seen as a less important part of Olympic and Paralympic legacy strategy, despite evidence showing that it is one of the few genuinely additional and legitimate legacy outcomes.