Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt has announced plans to "harness the full potential" of the London 2012 Olympics to establish a permanent tourism legacy for the whole country.

In his first keynote speech on the industry, Hunt said the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) would make it a priority to help draw up the world's best national marketing strategy. Hunt proposed the creation of a new fund designed to generate £1bn worth of marketing activity in priority markets around 2012, which will also incorporate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Other pledges include new industry targets to increase the domestic spend by UK residents to 50 per cent of the total and a review of the quangos to help simplify and focus support for the sector. Hunt said: "Making sure we have a lasting tourism legacy from hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games is one of the most pressing issues for the industry, and a top priority for government too.

"My priority is to make sure that London 2012 gets it right; that we draw on all these lessons to produce the best tourism marketing plan that any country has ever had." The new fund will be developed in partnership between the DCMS and private sector partners, with detailed plans due to be published by the end of September.