The long-awaited tourism plan for the 2012 Olympics has been delayed for a second time, this time until September.
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), which has been charged with formulating a plan to ensure the games creates a £2b legacy for tourism, has postponed the launch again citing the recent reshuffle.
It is also thought that industry bodies were not happy with some of the wording in the proposed document, originally due to be published tomorrow (17 July).
A DCMS spokesman said: “New ministers have come in following the reshuffle and they want to have their own take on it, so meetings have been set up with various bodies from the tourism industry to assess the plan and take it forward.”
The first meeting between Margaret Hodge, the new tourism minister, and industry leaders is due to take place tomorrow.
While industry bodies have broadly welcomed the delay, budget hotel chain Travelodge called it “disappointing”.
“From today up to the 2012 Olympics, is the most crucial time for tourism in decades,” said chief operating officer Guy Parsons. “We can't afford any further delays.”
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By Daniel Thomas
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