London 2012 Olympics: International visitors spent £450m on Visa cards during the first week

International visitors to the UK spent more than £450m on Visa cards during the first week of the Olympic Games, up by 8% on the same time last year.
The electronic payments company said hospitality businesses including restaurants, nightclubs, theatres and tourist attractions all benefited from the increase.
It said that around £12.7m was spent on Visa cards in restaurants last week, an increase of almost 20% on a year ago, while the amount spent in nightclubs was up by 24% to £2.1m.
Visa card spending on theatres and other ticket sales more than doubled to £5.3m, which the company said was possibly driven by last-minute deals following reports of a quieter period for the theatre industry and also spending on tickets for the Olympics as additional tickets went on sale.
Steve Perry, commercial director at Visa Europe, said: “The Games are building a massive feel-good factor, not just for the host nation but for all those visitors currently enjoying all the UK has to offer. There was plenty to cheer about in the first full week of the Games as total spending on Visa cards by international visitors reached £457m.
Visa is the only credit or debit card accepted at any London 2012 venues.