BUSINESSES across Manchester are enjoying a £17m bonanza thanks to the series of world-class sporting events taking place in the city this year.

The FINA World Swimming Championships - which begin tomorrow in the M .E.N. Arena - is expected to bring a £5m windfall to hotels, restaurants, shops, taxi drivers and other companies thanks to increased trade.

According to figures calculated by Manchester City Council, the UCI Track Cycling World Championships - which took place last month - has already boosted the economy by £1.4m.

The UEFA Cup Final which kicks off in Manchester City Stadium on May 14 is expected to generate £4m, while the Visa Paralympic World Cup - between May 7 and 11 - will bring £800,000 to the area.

The annual BUPA Great Manchester Run on May 18 is expected to bring £3.8m flooding into the area, while the Hi-Tec World Squash Championships - between October 13 and 19 - will bring £1.8m to the city.

Colin Sinclair, chief executive of inward investment agency MIDAS, said: "From our point of view, the projected £17m going into the local economy from hosting the events alone is fantastic news for the city region.

"The fact that Manchester has a dedicated year of world sport means that not only are the eyes of the world on the city region, but we also benefit as a centre for sports industries - with the likes of Adidas in Trafford Park and Deloitte specialising in sports law."

Paul Simpson, managing director of Greater Manchester's tourist board Visit Manchester, said that the city's sporting pedigree already attracts thousands of visitors to the region every year.

Strength

"Traditionally, football has been our biggest strength, but events like the Commonwealth Games in 2002 and the six world championship sports events taking place in 2008 are widening that appeal to the followers of all sports. And that can only be a good thing for the city."

Councillor Mike Amesbury, Manchester city council's spokesman for Arts and Leisure, said: "The six major sporting events taking place in the city this year will bring much more benefit to the city than the opportunity to see the world's top athletes in action.

"They will also bring spending of around £17m to benefit city businesses, get lots of local people involved in major events as volunteers and supporters - and generally prove a great benefit to Manchester."

Stephen Miles, chairman of Manchester Hoteliers Association, said that hotels are already reaping the benefits of sporting events.

"Something that we have seen in previous years is that when Manchester United and Manchester City are winning there is a knock on benefit for the city's hoteliers," said Mr Miles, who is general manager of the Radisson Edwardian, in Peter Street.

"It is exceptional for us to be hosting so many high profile sports events and from talking to my colleagues there is definitely a high up take of rooms this year.

"I think that many visitors are also tempted to attend sports events like these when they know that they can stay in a top brand hotel - which now have a strong presence across Manchester."

Manchester-based Sports Tours International - which organises training camps for cyclists in Spain and trips to the Tour de France - said that it has already witnessed a 30 per cent growth in sales as a direct result of the UCI Track Cycling World Championships.

"In real terms, this equates with an increase in turnover of around £250,000 over the course of the year," said chief executive Chris Bird.

Fantastic

"The combination of the British team's fantastic efforts in the championships and the extensive media coverage has inspired cyclists of all standards to enquire about our training camps."

Another Manchester business to benefit is Astra Signs, based in Dantzic St, which has spent the last fortnight installing all the signs for the FINA World Swimming Championships.

"I think that sporting events like these are incredibly important to the local economy," said managing director David Derbyshire.

"It is fantastic to get the opportunity to work on this world-class event. Contracts like this are enabling us to grow our business every year and while last year's turnover was £3.2m, I'm now hopeful that we'll reach the £5m mark within three years."

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