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The city of Beijing will see a long-term tourism benefit from the Olympic Games, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the association, explained that tourists often avoid Olympic host cities during the event as hotels will be congested and prices will be high.

He also said that the Olympics does not tend to attract dedicated sports fans in the way that major football, cricket and rugby events do.

The main benefit for host cities tends to materialise in the years following the Olympic Games, Mr Tipton said, as a result of the increased exposure that the event generates.

'It is always very beneficial for the countries chosen in the following years because it attracts a lot of attention, puts the idea of travelling to that country in people's minds and also because there is so much money being spent on infrastructure,' he said.

'It means that places become a lot more attractive to tourists.'

The Abta spokesman gave the example of Athens, host of the 2004 Olympics, where 'an absolute fortune' was spent on improvements and infrastructure that helped eventually turn the Greek capital into one of the world's leading city break destinations.

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