Politics, M People and PR guff. But can the Games benefit our industry? TravelMole Comment by Jeremy Skidmore

So, after two years of politics, presentations, reports and site visits, it all came down to a stirring speech from Lord Coe and that husky-voiced woman from M-People singing over the top of a video showing David Beckham attempting a crossword.

I really don’t know what I’ve done today to make myself feel proud, but if I have to suffer that song at one more travel conference while the self-important person responsible for choosing the soundtrack puffs his chest out and looks tearful, I swear I’ll do something of which I’m not proud.

Back to the Olympics bid. Of course we’re all delighted to have pipped Paris for the right to host the 2012 Games – particularly as abusing the French remains an acceptable form of racism in today’s society. But I was disappointed the camera crews focussed on Singapore and Trafalgar Square without showing pictures of people wailing and gnashing their teeth in Paris.

As any football fan will tell you, the joy of victory is made all the sweeter by seeing the misery etched upon your rivals’ faces. I jest of course. But on a serious note, am I the only person to find it amazing and slightly distasteful that International Olympic Committee members can be swayed by a last minute presentation?

After all the time and effort that has gone into the preparations, surely they should base their decisions on something more concrete than that?

The voting was also puzzling. After each round, the city with the least votes dropped out and then we started again. So, presumably those who voted for Moscow in the first round chose their second choice in the next round after that city was eliminated.

Then, in round two, Madrid was top with 32 votes and in the third round it was eliminated with 31 votes. So, correct me if I’m wrong – I often am and people often do – that must mean that at least one IOC member who voted for Madrid in round two, suddenly changed his or her mind and voted for someone else in round three.

After two years, this person had carefully considered all the options, visited the sites and, after much thought, had opted for Madrid. Then suddenly he or she had said, “oh forget it, I’ll go for London or Paris instead.”

That is, frankly, unbelievable. But hey, we’ve got it, and if that’s what it takes to improve our crumbling transport system, then bring it on. The massive 38% hike in tourist visas didn’t do us any harm and will at least mean that visitors will have to pay a chunk of the enormous costs of hosting the Games.

I was sitting in a busy newspaper office when we heard and saw the news and a few of us had a little bet on who would be first to send out a tourism-related press release about the 2012 victory.

VisitBritain was the clear winner telling us, within seconds of the announcement, that it would lead to a £2 billion increase in tourism revenues while the Tourism Society quickly followed up with some guff that has already slipped my mind.

Please God we don’t have to suffer seven years of public relations people telling us to celebrate the 2012 Games by enjoying a discounted deal at Claridges or escape from the preparations by splashing out on a week in Majorca for just £199. But I fear the worst.

It’s easy to forget it’s all such a long way off. Remember 1998 when conference speakers were just starting their dreaded crusade to get us to embrace the internet and to keep changing unless we wanted to go backwards? No, I’d rather not either, but that was seven years ago.

But for now, let’s rejoice. Actually Heather (that girl from M-People), I do feel proud to be British today. The squabbling, politics, bad organisation and hugely inflated hotel prices can wait for another day.

What’s your view on the 2012 decision? Add your comments by the link on this page.