B.C. generated $2.5B from 2010 Olympics: report

A new report suggests that the 2010 Winter Olympics have so far generated as much as $2.5 billion Cdn for B.C. coffers.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers study says the first three months of 2010 alone pumped over $862 million into the province's economy.

The report is part of a series commissioned by the federal and provincial governments to track the costs and benefits associated with hosting the Games.

The latest report examines all the revenues generated since Vancouver won the bid in 2003 but also focuses on the months around the Games themselves.

The study suggests that hotel revenues during the Olympics were higher than expected and tourists stayed for longer and spent more money than they usually do in B.C. during that time of year.

The government study was released as the Olympic organizing committee gets set to reveal how much was actually spent to put on the Games.