London 2012 Olympics Tickets and Tours: Organisers Say London 2012 'Not Austerity Olympics'

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UK Culture Minister Jeremy Hunt
promises London 2012 won't be
"austerity" games.

As Spyns dilligently prepares for its 2012 London Olympics tours, many fear recent budget cuts in the UK will have an adverse effect on the games. Britain's culture secretary has rejected claims that the London 2012 Games should be an "austerity" Olympics. Jeremy Hunt told the Daily Telegraph that rather than cutting its budget, the economic downturn meant the event's opportunities must be "harnessed". Mr Hunt said voters would not forgive the government if it failed to make the most of the Games.


The government has provided £9.3bn for the Games - up from an estimate of £2.4bn at the time of the bid in 2005. Mr Hunt said: "You can take two attitudes to the Olympics. You can say: these are times of austerity and therefore we should pare them down as much as possible. Or, you can say: because these are times of austerity we need to do everything we possibly can to harness the opportunity of the Olympics."


The minister said hosting the Olympics would have a "massively positive impact" on economic confidence. "We're going to be the centre of global attention and it will be the first time that we've had a major sporting event that's watched live by half the world's population. People would not forgive us if we didn't make the absolute most of this moment. This is going to be an incredible expression of Britain's culture, Britain's history and Britain's creativity. So, we decided that the sensible thing to do is to make sure that we finance it properly."


The government recently more than doubled the budget for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies - from £40m to £81m - after Prime Minister David Cameron saw the plans. The extra money came from within the £9.3bn Olympic public funding package. The venue security allocation has also risen by £271m to £553m after the estimated number of security guards required more than doubled from 10,000 to 23,700.

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.

London 2012 Olympics Tickets Tours Hotels: Beware of London 2012 Big Brother

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I believe the Olympic Games have reached a tipping point. The games were previously about sport, competition, and international friendship. Now it seems profit is everything. As the games get more expensive, sponsorship plays more of a factor and it's having adverse effects on the London 2012 games. By my estimates, almost half of London's hotel rooms are currently reserved for Olympic VIPs and sponsors. Clearly these are no longer the "people's games." And now London's organising committee is attacking small businesses.

Kamel Kichane claimed he took advice from Newham Council before naming his restaurant Café Olympic three years ago, after the 2012 Olympic Games were handed to London. He was among a number of local businessmen hoping to capitalise on the Games, which organisers claimed would spark the rejuvenation of east London and boost trade. But now Mr Kichane has reportedly been told he may face legal action as trading standards attempt to crack down on unauthorised use of the lucrative Olympic brand.

He told The Independent: "We did not get written permission ... but the council said, 'As long as the signs do not have the Olympic Rings on, it should be OK". Mr Kichane said changing all of his signs and logos would cost up to £3,000 (approx $5,000), which would represent a "crisis" for his business.  A spokesman for the London Organising Committee of the Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG), which is in charge of protecting the Olympic brand against unauthorised use, said it would take a "pragmatic and proportionate" approach to infringement, but added that key to the games budget was "companies paying millions of pounds to become exclusive partners."

Newham Council confirmed its trading standards department was "advising businesses" on the legality of using words and logos relating to the Games, and that it was examining the case of Café Olympic. As Spyns prepares for its London 2012 Olympics Tours, we wonder if the games are about sport or sponsorship. 

Spyns is an active travel company based in Whistler, BC (Canada). For more information about Spyns and our package tours to the 2012 London Summer Olympic Games, including London Olympics hotels, London 2012 tickets, and summer games VIP access, please visit our websites http://www.london-olympiad.com/ http://www.london2012-tours.com/ and http://www.london-tours-2012.com/ or call us toll-free at 1.888.825.4720.