Deserted London 2012: Shops, theatres and businesses all empty as visitor levels fall by a THIRD over fears of Games travel chaos

By JAMES CHAPMAN and HUGO DUNCAN

Bare: Overblown warnings of Olympics travel chaos are turning key sites into 'ghost towns' and threatening Britain's economic recovery, say business leaders. This image shows an empty Westfield shopping centre at Shepherds Bush at lunchtime yesterday

Overblown warnings of Olympics travel chaos are turning key sites into ‘ghost towns’ and threatening Britain’s economic recovery, say business leaders.
Messages to stay away from London and other key venues have worked too well, with visitor numbers suffering catastrophic falls.
Incredibly, almost a third of the five million people employed in the capital are expected to heed official advice to work from home at some point over the fortnight to avoid disruption which has failed to materialise.

Empty: Messages to stay away from London and other key venues have worked too well, with visitor numbers suffering catastrophic falls. A usually heavily congested Blackwall Approach is virtually deserted

Leading attractions, meanwhile, are reporting visitor numbers down by a third on the same period last year.
Experts insist that even if the short-term economic benefits of hosting the Games do not materialise, Britain will enjoy ‘incalculable’ longer-term benefits in terms of increased trade and tourism.

Pleas: Pressure is growing for transport bosses to alter their advice to travellers and make it clear Britain is open for business. Oxford Street in London appears to be empty yesterday afternoon

But pressure is growing for transport bosses to alter their advice to travellers and make it clear Britain is open for business.
Ministers are also facing calls to rethink their decision to allow hundreds of thousands of civil servants to work from home while the Games are on.

Worrying: Restaurants in Covent Garden are suffering a down turn in trade as customers stay away from the area

Bernard Donoghue, of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, which represents venues ranging from London Zoo to St Paul’s Cathedral, said: ‘There are two groups of people missing.
'The first are general visitors to London, who are staying clear because of the perception that it will be busy.
‘The second are Londoners and Brits who have been warned there will be a transport nightmare. Our message to them is that while it may be sensible to avoid certain peak times and locations, transport is running very smoothly.

No custom: Ministers are also facing calls to rethink their decision to allow hundreds of thousands of civil servants to work from home while the Games are on. This picture shows an empty Spitalfields Market during lunchtime

‘Ironically there has never been a better time to visit our attractions because the queues are shorter and opening times have been extended.’
Mr Donoghue said advice to travellers should be amended, adding: ‘As long as you avoid peak times and stations, London is surprisingly accessible and open for business.’
According to the world’s largest hotel survey, details of which were published yesterday, a promised influx of visitors is not having the bumper effect on UK businesses for which many were hoping.
One disillusioned hotelier told TripAdvisor that ‘the negative impact of the Olympic Games’ was a nasty surprise for business.

Where is everyone? An unusually quiet Regent Street in London. Businesses say the centre of the city has become a 'ghost town' during the Olympics

Steve McNamara, of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, said cab drivers had also been hit hard. He said: ‘Normally about 90 per cent of our customers are Londoners but they’ve all left the city and haven’t been replaced by tourists.
'I don’t know where all these tourists are or how they’re getting about, but London is like a ghost town.’
London Mayor Boris Johnson insisted: ‘Things are going really well. Many, many thousands of people are flowing into London, the hotels are busy, the Olympic venues are attracting huge numbers and people are enjoying the brilliant live sites, a raft of free events for all the family and the free sport as well, with hundreds of thousands out over the weekend for the cycling.’

Shunned: The Games has attracted 100,000 foreign visitors to London, but this is well below the estimated 300,000 who come during a typical summer

Quiet: Streets in the central shopping area of Greenwich looked almost deserted as the final stages of the team equestrian event got under way

Empty: The scene on Millbank, outside Westminster Palace, at 6pm, when the roads are normally congested

Incredible: London Bridge Underground station was also totally clear during the supposed rush hour

source: dailymail