AFP reports that International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge told the Greek daily Ta Nea “I’m sure that the Athens Olympics will be the best in history in most areas”. He admitted that six months ago he did not believe that the difficulties and delays could be overcome in time for the Games, which take place almost a year from now. “I can now express my complete satisfaction on the progress of preparations for the Games in Athens, progress in all areas is clear”. Rogge added that the Olympic village “needs particular attention. The Organizing Committee has to bring forward its efforts on this so that there is no embarrassment and everyone has a high level, comfortable stay”. He also stressed that transport had to be perfect and one of the “risky issues to which the IOC is paying particular attention”.
Visitors to the Games may have a problem finding suitable accommodation. AFP reports that because downtown hotel rooms are reserved for Olympic officials, regular visitors will have to look for space in neighbouring areas, unless they want to pay a high premium for a hotel room, cruise cabin or a private home in the city. According to Greek hotel chamber figures about 20,000 beds are only available around Attica, about 80-killometres away, although George Tsakiris, president of the Attica hotel association said that they estimate demand to be at around 110,000 guests per day with 25,000 beds free in the greater Athens area and hotel rooms available in an acceptable distance in adjacent regions. More than 16,000 homeowners are interested in renting their homes to Olympic visitors, according to the president of a consortium running the Games’ official leasing program. But it wasn’t revealed what the visitors will have to pay for the accommodation.
A Greek financial newspaper reports that three Greek network operators predict a breakdown of the mobile phone network during the Games because of the volume of phone traffic. Telephone conversations in the city of four million residents would increase by around 500 to 600 per cent.
