I stood with scores of people that day, watching television monitors in the lobby of the hotel at which I was preparing to speak...waiting for word that Chicago would be selected to host the Games. I watched those people in empathetic sadness as Chicago lost on the first vote.
As much as the city's pride took a major hit that day, maybe it's all for the better that Rio got the Games. A new study by the European Tour Operators Association looked at arrivals to host cities following the last six Summer Olympics. The trade group discovered that all six experienced a "major disruption" in tourism and none had any "conspicuous growth."
According to the ETOA, "one would expect most cities to show tourism growth year
on year. For the Olympic cities, tourism growth tends to be stalled,
and the stall becomes most apparent when a comparison is made with
competitor destinations."
An interesting thought for those that dream of major events. Is the public PR and brand awareness that will undoubtedly play out to our advantage in the long run (which the ETOA does not address) worth the short-term losses that will occur by hosting such events?


Recent Comments