VisitBritain has emphasised how the London 2012 Games could boost the UK's appeal to overseas tourists as a series of events marked the one-year countdown to the event.

The national tourism agency said that a potential global television audience of 4 billion will enable the UK to put itself on the "destination wish list" of foreign travellers. VistiBritain chief executive Sandie Dawe said: "London 2012 is an event with global reach that will allow us to highlight the diversity of what visitors can experience across Britain."

However, UKinbound has issued a warning against the "misperceptions" that the Olympic and Paralympic Games would provide a boost to the tourism industry. UKinbound chief executive Mary Rance said: "The people that will flock into London and other parts of the UK for the Games will not be traditional inbound tourists.

"In this next year our industry would like to hear politicians and media discuss the event in terms of being a springboard for 2013 and beyond rather than falling for the misperception that the IOC Olympic Games is, in itself, good for inbound UK tourism."