On July 6, the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) released a report stating that cities that host the Olympic Games suffer from drops in tourism in the years leading up to and following the Games. Using data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the ETOA found that "a trend of 10 percent growth in visitor arrivals turned into a decline two years before the Sydney Olympics [in 2000]. The stagnation persisted for more than two years later," and tourism didn't see a rebound until 2003. Dubbed the "Olympic Effect," the trend is also evident in data for Atlanta (host of the1996 Games), Barcelona (1992), and Seoul (1998). Data for the 2004 Games in Athens is not yet available.
"These findings may seem surprising because during the games the city’s hotels are full," Tom Jenkins, executive director of the ETOA, said. "But this situation is short-lived. Olympic visitors tend not to be big consumers of sightseeing excursions; neither are they committed visitors to museums, historic monuments, and other classic tourist attractions. The presence of the Olympics deters regular tourists: they perceive that the city will be full, disrupted, congested, and overpriced. A reduction in the numbers of regular tourists halts the conveyor belt of satisfied customers bringing more visitors."
The report, called "The Olympics Will Not Benefit UK Tourism," focuses on the impact the 2012 games will have on London's tourism industry, and gives suggestions for what the city can do to mitigate the Olympic Effect.
Posted 07.10.06
"These findings may seem surprising because during the games the city’s hotels are full," Tom Jenkins, executive director of the ETOA, said. "But this situation is short-lived. Olympic visitors tend not to be big consumers of sightseeing excursions; neither are they committed visitors to museums, historic monuments, and other classic tourist attractions. The presence of the Olympics deters regular tourists: they perceive that the city will be full, disrupted, congested, and overpriced. A reduction in the numbers of regular tourists halts the conveyor belt of satisfied customers bringing more visitors."
The report, called "The Olympics Will Not Benefit UK Tourism," focuses on the impact the 2012 games will have on London's tourism industry, and gives suggestions for what the city can do to mitigate the Olympic Effect.
Posted 07.10.06
