Money can't buy marketing like this for Bristol, says football club chairman Steve Lansdown as the city gears up for its role in England's 2018 World Cup bid.

The Bristol 2018 team is back at Wembley today to hear what happens next for host venues and the marketing drive to promote England's credentials for 2018.

The fizz has barely settled in their champagne glasses following the announcement on Wednesday that Bristol is one of the 12 cities shortlisted in the bid.

And now they must join the likes of Liverpool and Manchester to make sure England wins the right to stage the tournament when Fifa makes its decision next December.

The city will feature in a global marketing campaign to woo the 24 members of the Fifa World Cup committee, some of whom will visit Bristol next summer.

"You can't buy publicity like this," Mr Lansdown, chairman of Bristol City, told the Evening Post.

"This is priceless and it is now up to us to make the most of it."

The much-publicised figure released by the Football Association of estimated benefit to host cities staging four games is £150million - but this only includes spending by international visitors.

"There's nothing quite like (the World Cup). I've been to cup finals and things but there's nothing like it," said Mr Lansdown.

"We've taken the first step. Bristol is a great city but it can be even greater. It is the first step to get it in a different league."

The city will enjoy at least a year in the global limelight.

If England is awarded the tournament in December 2010, then Bristol has until 2013 to convince Fifa it should be one of the estimated 12 stadiums which will be selected from the 15 currently included in England's bid.

Tim Coles, Professor of travel and tourism management at the University of Exeter Business School, explained the benefits of being associated with major sporting events.

"Sports tourism is the sleeping giant of the global tourism industry," he said. "They generate strong economic impacts, for instance, in the areas of revenue, sales, investment, foreign currency receipts, job creation, destination marketing, and urban regeneration.

"Visitors stay for longer, and they spend more per capita. Estimates for London 2012 suggest it will benefit the economy by £2 billion."

Bristol's inclusion could have an accelerating effect on other projects within the city, as well as promoting it on the world stage and drawing in the tourists.

Chief executive of Bristol City Council Jan Ormondroyd told the Post: "It will help us drive a number of other things forward including the delivery of major infrastructure programmes already in the pipeline, like the Greater Bristol Bus Network and road schemes. There's a lot of hard work to do."

Bristol's bid cited £213 million of planned investment in public transport infrastructure, and there is also the possibility of an arena and lobbying for national investment in the rail network.

Then there is simple prestige of hosting the World Cup.

Bid team member Guy Price told the Post: "I think Bristol can be the jewel in the crown of the World Cup bid. The people of Bristol should be really proud of their city.

"I do suspect the work we have put in will be nothing to what we have to do now."