MORE than 20 organisations have joined forces in Dorset to orchestrate the smooth running of the sailing competition and associated events for the London 2012 Games.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has been described in organisation and resource terms as ‘the largest single project undertaken in the UK for over 70 years’.

A series of working groups in the county, collectively known as the Weymouth and Portland 2012 Operations Group, have the responsibilities of transport, visitors, culture, health and safety, communications, safety and security and volunteering.

Key contacts for each of the groups will be bringing insight to their activities through a weekly column in the Dorset Echo.

Here Simon Williams, head of 2012 operations, gives an update on visitor management plans for next year.

THE 2012 Games will be a great opportunity for Dorset’s tourism businesses and like us, many local authorities around the county are preparing for next year’s expected surge of visitors.

Advice has been published for those planning to offer accommodation to visitors and how best to promote their businesses.

With the internet being a key communication tool these days, it’s vital that websites are up-to-date and easy to search and it’s definitely a good idea to include language translation facilities, with free ones available to be downloaded from the web.

Tourist information centres are also expecting a high number of enquiries – but they can only recommend inspected properties, so it’s a good idea for businesses to have official accreditation.

But 2012 is not just about the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Weymouth and Portland; visitors have the chance to enjoy the full range of what Dorset’s coast and countryside has to offer, including its stunning landscapes, delicious food and drink and fascinating heritage and attractions.

The official visitor website <&bh"http://www.visit-dorset.com">visit-dorset.com<&eh> has been prepared especially to be ready for the time of the Games and has a wide range of information for all.

Dorset as a whole will be ‘open for business’ during the summer of 2012 and with plenty of cultural events planned, there will be plenty for everyone throughout the year.

Park and Ride and additional public transport services are being organised to ease transport into Weymouth and Portland during the Olympic Games period, July 27 to August 12, 2012.

The planned Live site on Weymouth Beach and Festival Village will provide great attractions for locals and visitors, and I hope to give you more on these projects later.

Finally, remember in 2012 we will all find that we have ‘friends and relatives we didn’t know we had’ when the phone rings with people asking to come and stay.