Olympics create interest in UK among middle class of India and China

The Olympic and Paralympic Games are boosting interest in the UK from Asia, a survey by Deloitte revealed. About 80 per cent of respondents from China and India are more likely to want to visit Britain in light of publicity surrounding the Games.

More than 60 per cent said they would like to buy more British products, while 77 per cent want to learn more about the UK. The study also shows 76 per cent of respondents in China and India associate the Olympic Games with the UK, a higher proportion than consumers elsewhere in Europe or in the United States.

Only the UK’s history, universities and London are more closely associated with the UK in the minds of Chinese and Indian consumers, Deloitte said.

Nigel Wixcey of Deloitte said: “As the global population is evolving, so consumer spending power is shifting.

“The emerging middle classes of China and India are increasingly powerful consumers of western goods, increasingly as strong consumer markets develop in their home countries.”

The middle classes of China and India were also more likely to associate Britain with luxury brands, the survey showed.