Executive confident Olympic bid will benefit Scotland
Scottish Tourism, Culture and Sports Minister Patricia Ferguson has said that Scotland is fully behind the London 2012 Olympic bid.
And she added that the benefits of a successful bid would spread across the UK as a whole.
Speaking at an ‘Olympic Opportunities’ conference, Ms Ferguson, said: “Scotland stands shoulder to shoulder with London in its bid to host the Olympics in 2012. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to reap the rewards that will flow from the biggest sporting event in the world.
“We have gathered a group of experts from the public and private sector to ensure Scotland benefits if London’s bid is successful, and several top Scottish athletes have added their support.”
She rejected suggestions that the Games would fail to help areas of the UK outside London, saying: “In terms of the tourism industry in Scotland, a successful bid would provide a fantastic opportunity to attract more visitors to our country, and give a heightened profile to our unique scenery, modern, vibrant cities and unrivalled historic buildings and monuments.
And the Sports Minister added: “The bid has already benefited Scottish based companies: Navyblue Design Group, won the tender to design London 2012’s bid document, and HiFli Banners and Flags are involved in the manufacturing of London 2012’s promotional and branding material.”
Other key speakers at the conference will include bid chairman Seb Coe and Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport Tessa Jowell.
All of the candidates’ bids have now been submitted to the International Olympic Committee, with the final decision due to be taken on 6 July this year.
