The City of Coventry Stadium is working with troubled holiday firm Thomas Cook, the official short break provider to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, as it looks to boost tourism in the region.
The venue will be the host for 12 men’s and women’s Olympic football matches at London 2012, starting on 25 July, 2012.
Stadium Chief executive Daniel Gidney and marketing director Liz Cooper are working with the travel agency’s London 2012 team to provide short breaks for visitors who will travel from all across the UK to experience the 12 matches in eight days.
From the New Year the partners will work with local hoteliers and offer London 2012 hospitality ticket and overnight short breaks from £69 per person.
Gidney described the partnership as “a boost to tourism in the region both before, during and after the Games”.
“Having the world’s greatest sporting spectacle taking place in the UK, and our region, is a wonderful opportunity to showcase the Midlands to the rest of the world,” he said.
“We are really pleased to be working with Thomas Cook and we will be the first football venue across the UK outside of London to offer short breaks.
Stephen Vaughan, MD of Thomas Cook’s London 2012 partnership, said: “We’re pleased to have put together a range of Games Breaks, available in the New Year, that will include a ticket for the Olympic football at the City of Coventry Stadium.”
Thomas Cook secured a fresh £200m loan to help it cope with cash flow issues after its shares crashed by 75 per cent when markets reacted to fears over the company’s £900m of debt.
The City of Coventry Stadium is the renamed moniker for The Ricoh Arena for the duration of the Olympics. The venue, under strict rules aimed at stopping businesses that have not paid for sponsorship packages benefiting commercially from the Games.
London’s O2 will be temporarily re-badged as the North Greenwich Arena during the Games.
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