The Pros and Cons of Being an Olympic Host City

Ever since the days of Ancient Greece, the Olympics have had a certain allure, and even in the modern world cities from around the world compete for the right to host the winter and summer games in their cities. Hosting the Olympic games provides both challenges and opportunities for the cities in competition. Some cities have had real long lasting benefits from hosting these high profile athletic competitions, while others have been left saddled with debt and with little to show for all their hard work.

There are both advantages and disadvantages for cities hosting the winter and summer Olympics. Let’s first take a look at some of the advantages the winning host cities can expect to enjoy when they host these high profile events.

A Worldwide Stage for the City
When the Olympics come to town the eyes of the world are focused on the city hosting the games. This high profile can provide many important opportunities for city managers, business owners and others. Many cities that have hosted past Olympics found that there was a spike in tourism, not just during the games but for many years afterward. This increased tourism brings both dollars and prestige to the host city, and it can provide real long lasting benefits.

Hosting the Olympics also gives the host city an opportunity to create new tourist attractions from those former Olympic venues. After Montreal was done hosting the Olympic games it opened up many of those former venues to tourists, enjoying long lasting benefits that are still accruing today. Salt Lake City is also reaping the benefits of hosting the Olympic games by opening its Olympic sites to tourists, and Vancouver is expected to do the same.

A Windfall for Local Workers
Building all those ski slopes, bobsled tracks and ice skating arenas takes a look of labor, and hosting the Olympics can be a real boon for local businesses and local workers. Local construction companies can benefit greatly from the Olympic games, since they already know the area and what it needs to succeed. Local workers can benefit as well from the influx of good paying jobs. The Olympics provides opportunities not only for construction workers but for event coordinators, promotion officials, local newscasters and more. Those who are tied in to the heart of the host city may suddenly find their services in very high demand.

Permanent Improvements to the Infrastructure
When the Olympic games come to town it is important that all of the roads, bridges and other parts of the infrastructure are in top condition. The Olympics brings with it increased traffic volumes and other challenges, and it is important for the host city to be up to the challenge. Preparing to host the Olympic games is a multi-year project, and the construction often begins as soon as the games have been awarded.

That construction can have long lasting benefits for the host city, benefits that last long after the closing ceremonies have ended. The improvements to bridges, highways and other parts of the infrastructure can help the city grow and thrive long after the Olympics are over.

Of course nothing is perfect, and hosting the Olympic games comes with its own unique set of challenges. Many cities have found that hosting the Olympic games did not turn out to be quite the boon they had anticipated. Listed below are some of the possible disadvantages of winning the high profile competition for the right to host the Olympics.

High Costs and High Debts
Hosting the Olympic games costs a great deal of money, and it can be difficult for host cities to recoup those extensive costs. Many host cities have found themselves saddled with long term debts that last much longer than the games themselves. These high debt burdens can result in a number of unpleasant problems, including higher taxes and reduced city services.

Traffic Snarls
Anyone who has lived in a city that hosted the Olympic games can attest to the fact that simply moving around and living their day to day lives becomes very difficult while those games are going on. Traffic snarls seem to be a way of life in Olympic host cities, no matter how many infrastructure improvements are completed in the years leading up to the start of the games.

High Profile Failures
Hosting the Olympic games puts the spotlight of the world on the host city, but that spotlight is very much a double edged sword. As the city of Vancouver has found, hosting the Olympic games puts a special burden on both the city and the individuals who are charged with designing the courses and the venues. The high profile death of a Georgian luger during a test run has already cast a pall over the Vancouver Olympics, and there have been many charges that all of the courses, from the ski slopes to the bobsled tracks, are both too fast and too dangerous.

It is important for any city that hosts the Olympic games to manage the reputation of the city carefully, before, during and after the games themselves. The cities that have been the most successful are the cities that have taken the time to make sure all of their infrastructure improvements are in place prior to the start of the games, and that the venues they build are truly world class facilities.