This week three cities are entering a new phase in their bids to become the host city for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver, Salzburg and Pyeongchang will be submitting their bid books to the International Olympic Committee by Friday.
They believe hosting an Olympic Games will promote their cities internationally; provide economic benefits through tourism; and leave the host city a lasting legacy.
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell says Vancouver hosting the Games will generate more than $10 billion in business and will have a lasting impact on the province and on Canada.
It’s been almost a year since Salt Lake City hosted the 2002 Winter Games and other than increased tourism, reports say that Salt Lake City has seen few economic benefits.
The new light rail transit system runs through a downtown filled with deserted store- fronts.
Reports say that Utah sales taxes figures and unemployment rates barely budged last year.
Larry Gerlack, a professor at the University of Utah who has studied the impact of Winter Olympics on host cities says once the show’s over, it’s over.
“People are concerned about economics. They’re concerned about education and social services. They’re concerned about quality of life. The Olympics, by definition, aren’t going to deliver those sorts of things”, he said.
And Fraser Bullock, organizer of the Salt Lake Games, says people expect too much in the way of economic impact from the Olympics.
“You put on the Games because you want to host the world, and not because you expect all this transformational economic activity post-Games”, he said.
And when the party was over and Salt Lake received its bill, it seems that with the costs of heightened security arrangements added in, the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City cost $200 million more than they took in.
Vancouver, Salzburg and Pyeongchang – dream on.
