While the 2012 Olympics are good news for inbound tourism, it looks set to send many of us abroad to avoid them. A survey by PriceWaterCoopers has revealed that nearly four million Brits are planning to avoid the games completely by going abroad, while two million will alter their plans as a result of the event.

The study took a representative sample of over 2,000 consumers exactly a year before the start of the Games. The results were mixed,  37% of UK residents felt positively about the Olympics,with the percentage rising to 46% in London. However, with regards to the economy the results were flipped the other way with only 48% of Londoners believing the event will have a positive impact on the economy, compared to 54% of the rest of the UK.

Of those surveyed, only 4% of the UK successfully purchased tickets with an average of £196.42 spent on each ticket allocation.

Another PwC survey assessed the attitudes towards the Olympics of over 500 managers of more than five employees. 63%, believe the Games will have little impact on their business, while 69% believe there will be a positive impact on the UK economy in the short term.