World Cup to generate 1 billion pounds for British tourism

LONDON (Reuters) - This year's rugby World Cup in England and Wales will generate nearly 1 billion pounds for Britain's transport and tourism industries, search engine GoEuro.co.uk said on Wednesday.

(Reuters)

The 20-team tournament, being played in 11 cities, will attract 440,00 overseas visitors and over two million Britons in the biggest boost to tourism in the country since the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The 17 matches to be played in London, including the opening game between England and Fiji at Twickenham on Sept. 18, will bring nearly 200 million pounds to the capital.

(Reporting by Ed Osmond; editing by Sudipto Ganguly)