Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Hosting the Olympic Games in Your City

Good Essays
1040 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Hosting the Olympic Games in Your City
| How can hosting the Olympic Games positively or negatively affect a city? | Hosting the Olympic Games | | Floyd Ellison | Andrew Clink |

|

How can hosting the Olympic Games positively or negatively affect the host city? There are many different views on this subject and this paper shall analyze many if not all of them. The Olympics are a fun and exciting event for a city to be a part of. But can a city really benefit from hosting The Games in the long run? To complete my paper a number of resources were used. A trip to the Newton County Public Library provided me with most of the sources and enough quietness to make my conclusions. The book Olympic Dreams: The Impact of Mega-Events on Local Politics provided me with a lot of information on past Olympic game figures and revenue created by countries and companies collaborating for the Olympics. The rest of my information was obtained from a few internet sources and some magazine articles on large-scale events and their effect on the economy.
Of course hosting an Olympic game produces a large amount of communal pride and public satisfaction as a unit, which in my opinion is much greater than a World Series victory or NFL super bowl win. When a host city is on television in front of two-thirds of the world’s population, the event becomes magnified. It becomes a public relations and advertising phenomenon. This phenomenon has many short-term benefits on tourism, real estate values and new business opportunities (Arroyo, 2012). For long-term benefits, host cities should focus on facilities that enhance urban life and do well for the community over a long period of time.
Olympic sports facilities should have great post-Olympic Game mass appeal for public use. Unless they are dismantled and materials recycled, as doing this would avoid losing a great part of the city. But not all the time are magnificent things built for the Olympic Games and forgotten in a city’s backdrop years later. Centennial Olympic Park would probably not have been constructed in Atlanta’s city center without the 1996 Summer Games (Bolduc, 2012). Currently the park is a centerpiece in downtown Atlanta as it still serves as an amazing event space. Usually monuments built for the Olympic Games in the form of stadiums and sporting venues quickly become little more than reminders of once glorious days. Actually the historical record of long-term benefit from Olympic-related sports facilities is tugged on by maintenance and operation costs (Zimbalist, 2012).
Economists find that local organizers and sports supporters exaggerate the benefits and underestimate the costs of hosting major events such as the Olympics. It may feel like a city is gaining while they really aren’t. For example, while Salt Lake City’s hotels and restaurants were booming with tourists during the 2002 Winter Games, other businesses not directly related the event suffered significant losses in sales. As a whole, economic activity the region actually fell during the Olympics. Studies of the 2006 World Cup in Germany showed that the country experienced little in areas of improvements in income or employment figures, just as some economists would have expected (Guerrero, 2010). However, surveys did notice an improvement in residents’ self-reported levels of happiness following the event. So the World Cup didn’t make the Germans rich, but it did appear to help them boost their overall happiness.
On the opposing side, there are some areas of The Games that do bring back long-term benefits to residents of host cities. They consistently focus on facilities put in place that improve transportation, communication and beauty. This enhances the quality of urban life in a city that could be on its way to descent and disappointment.
The Olympics are very costly, but they can also help create a more sustainable urban environment that encourages transit-use, revitalizes once-neglected urban districts, and enhances public luxuries. The 1992 Summer Olympics put Barcelona on the map as a world class tourist destination and the city has experienced a flow of visitors over the past two decades (Matthewman, 2009). Yes these are all short term benefits, but where are those long term assets? Well really expanded bridges, a few new roads, mass transit systems, and small environmental improvements are the only long-term benefits.
As you can see hosting the Olympic Games in your city could have its ups as well as it downs.
In conclusion, a city is losing more than it may feel like they are actually gaining by hosting the Olympic Games. There are some things you could gain but there are also important values and money you could lose after the Olympic Games. Mega-events such as these are exciting for citizens and politicians, but the economic costs tend to outweigh the economic benefits of holding such events.

-Perryman, Mark (2012) Do the Olympics Boost the Economy? www.thedailybeast.com 11/12/12 http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/30/do-the-olympics-boost-the-economy-studies-show-the-impact-is-likely-negative.html
-Luna, Elisa (2012) How the 1992 Summer Olympics Benefitted Tourism in Barcelona http://ezinearticles.com 11/12/12 http://ezinearticles.com/?How-the-1992-Summer-Olympics-Benefitted-Tourism-in-Barcelona&id=4729740 -Arroyo, Federico (2012) Pros and Cons of Hosting Olympic Games http://prosandconshostingolimpics.com 11/12/12 http://prosandconshostingolimpics.blogspot.ca/ -Guerrero, Dani (2010) The Disadvantages of Hosting the Olympics Editorial http://hostingtheolympics5.blogspot.com/ 11/13/12 http://hostingtheolympics5.blogspot.com/2010/05/disadvantages-of-hosting-olympics.html -Matthewman, Richard (2009) Economic Impacts of Olympic Games http://www.locateinkent.com 11/13/12 http://www.locateinkent.com/images/assets/Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Olympic%20Games%20-%2009.07.09.pdf -Debatepedia (2009) Is it worth hosting the Olympic games? 11/13/12 -Fleming, Joe (2012) Hosting the Olympic Games: Is It Worth It? www.complexmagazine.com 11/13/12 http://www.complex.com/city-guide/2012/07/hosting-the-summer-olympics-is-it-worth-it -Zimbalist, Andrew (2012) 3 Reasons Why Hosting the Olympics Is a Loser’s Game www.theantlantic.com 11/14/12 http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/07/3-reasons-why-hosting-the-olympics-is-a-losers-game/260111/

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    SEA Games Case Study

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Host country will upgrade or build the new infrastructure and stadium to meet the sports events, some country even will build a games village for the athletes. This is always a big cost to the host city, but many facilities are always used only for the period of the events. After the end of the sports event, many of these places are leave uncultivated. For example, the Rio 2016 Olympic venues was left in ruin after the Olympic was ended. The swimming pool was abandoned, seats was missing and have debris that not yet clear in the venue.…

    • 830 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    While there is some merit to the above argument, bidding and hopefully hosting an international sporting event can bring significant benefits to a city. The following are a range of benefits that can be presented to the local community:…

    • 1658 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Olympics Dbq Analysis

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin, believed that the Olympics were the true free trade of the future, that could help increase economics(Doc 1). In 1892, Europe was enduring a lot of political tension, he may have believed that trade could help calm the political tensions and boost the economy (Doc 1). Countries that have been chosen to host the Olympic games, have greatly benefited from it. For example, Japan greatly appreciated their being chosen for the Olympics because, they felt it had helped them recover after their defeat in the World War (Doc 7). The senses of appreciation showed the world that the Olympics gave good exposure to the host country (Doc 5). The amount of viewers of the Olympics has greatly risen from around 100 people in 1980 to about 1,300 people in 2000 (Doc 9). This could be a result of better/more amounts of…

    • 580 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Olympic Games DBQ

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The economies of the countries who host the Olympic games generally have a boost in the economy. With a few exceptions like South Korea. Even with the Olympic games being hosted in Seoul, none of their companies were selected as top sponsors. “Korean companies are not on the list. Korea failed to avail itself of an opportunity to display its industrial and economic power to a worldwide television audience.” (Doc 7) One country that always contributed to the games was the United…

    • 602 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    North America is not alone. South Africa spent $1.3 billion on building and upgrading 10 soccer stadiums for the 2010 World Cup following on the heels of Germany’s 2.4 billion euro investment in stadiums and general infrastructure for the 2006 edition of the event. The Summer Olympic Games require the greatest financial commitment of all the mega-sports events with a typical spending around the neighborhood of $10 billion, but in some instances the sums have far surpassed that amount ( Preuss, 2004). China reportedly incurred costs in excess of $58 billion to host the event in 2008 (Upegui, 2008). Such sums of direct public investment to build infrastructure for private businesses or events are generally rare in other sectors of the economy. For this level of public investment, it is reasonable to ask the extent to which professional sports serve to promote local economic development.…

    • 1133 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The book: The Olympic Games Effect wrote by John A. Davis, is mainly discussing about the sport market, especially the Olympic market. The book made a key contribution to learning the economics of the Olympics, marketing of the Olympics. It is really help marketers to understand how brands promote in such a huge event.…

    • 2737 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Pyeongchang will host Winter Olympic Games in 2018. As earlier winter Olympics show evident, hosting winter Olympic will earn huge profit, but not every earlier winter Olympics could make profit. Therefore a lot of efforts are required to make profits and maximize those profits. Winter Olympic could make benefit in accommodation, transport, traditional food, advertising, trade and tourism industries. Each industry can make different profits and requires different efforts to be followed for maximizing profits.…

    • 2276 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    There are many issues associated with one-time sporting events. Such as the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. I was actually in Beijing that year during summer time to visit. We went to the stadium and it was still under construction. But the arena is located there the many tourist destinations in the city. From the Tiananmen Square to the venue is just fifteen minutes of driving. During the actual event, there are millions of visitors in the city and they will visit the tourist locations as well because they are so close to each other. I think sporting events fits great in overall tourism because it brings in more people which means more revenue. I think the key ways that major events showcase well because of the staffing. WIthout them, everyone…

    • 198 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Best Essays

    The Olympic Games have become a much sort after event by cities around the world. It is seen as an opportunity for the city not only to enhance and broaden its profile, but showcase its potential as an attractive place for investment (Hiller, 2006, p.318). This essay will explore the sociological impact that the Olympics have had on the city of London and its occupants. It will be argued that while there are numerous positive short term effects that come…

    • 2591 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Olympics In Chicago

    • 2435 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Numerous people have and will continue to claim that Chicago is unfit to host. Whether they are citizens of the area or not, there are plenty of people who believe that everyone would be better off without an Olympic Games in this specific city. Despite these objections, Chicago must not allow itself to be discouraged. If residents of Chicago are truly tired of being belittled and want to improve their community, they should prove that they’re worth it, prove that they’re more than just ugly new stories that cover up the beautiful ones. In addition to all of that, they should be ready to advocate for the Olympics as well as for a better Chicago. Think of an Olympics in Chicago as a goal. Said goal would equate to Chicago becoming a city with a more positive outlook as it could finally prove its greatness to the world. Keep in mind, an Olympics would lead to an increase in tourism, a higher desire to improve oneself and stay at that desired level, and the upgraded transportation as well as other city upgrades that always seem to occur in applicant cities. All things considered, an Olympics in Chicago wouldn’t be a short-term change; it is an opportunity that would benefit the city for years to come. For this reason, Chicago, hold your pride in the palm of your hand and keep your heart on your sleeve. Let the world in and prove to all the critics that belittle your…

    • 2435 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Over recent years, there have significantly controversial discussions about the economic impact that large sporting events bring to the host city and country. This literature review mainly draws attention on four aspects: tourism boosting & expenditure of tourist, employment, price and living cost, reconstruction and investment. It is argued in each item about the extent of the economic impact works and the process they worked. It gathers numerous viewpoints and data from different articles, and mainly takes the Olympic Games as example because they could well represent for the large scale sport events.…

    • 2712 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The tourist industry won't just boom during the four weeks that the Olympic and Paralympic games actually take place, but for months and years before and after the event.…

    • 2029 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Olympic Core Values

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Behind the Olympics, host countries are secretly utilizing their opportunity to only expand their profits. The Olympics are not only hosted to clean up the city, but also to reconstitute by eliminating the poor and the undesirable; to create a city by and for the rich (Kumar, 2012). According to Kumar, PhD candidate of Economic Geography at Oxford University, “the 2008 Beijing Olympics saw the forced displacement of 1.5 million residents. The 2010 Vancouver Games targeted the homeless, indigenous, and women with eviction notices, criminalizing begging and sleeping outdoors, and introducing a law banning placards, banners or posters that do not 'celebrate' the Olympics.” This indicates that the current situation of the Olympics, rather than promoting core values, only broaden inequality between the rich and the poor. Even accumulated hatreds against the Olympics are hidden behind hearts of those who are badly affected by the Olympics. Hosting the Olympics initially appears to be an ideological opportunity to bring in more tourists into a city and promotes sports as well to energize the city. At this time, it is safe enough to say the Olympics clearly make a shadow. A further reason why The Olympics does not promote core values is sponsor companies involved in organizing the Olympics. There are many sponsors such as Coca-Cola, McDonalds and Cadbury, which have been heavily criticized for their high-sugar, high-caloric products that do not represent healthy and smart world of professional athletics (Smedley, 2012). The cost needed for holding such a big scaled event like the Olympics can never be overestimated. Even so, is it what the Olympics want that kids in front of live broadcasting of the games go get some Coke to drink during the games? Is it how the Olympics promote core values by…

    • 1224 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the year 776 BC, a simple competition of endurance and strength, dedicated to the Olympian gods, birthed a tradition. This tradition that has stayed around and extended nearly 3000 years is known as the Olympic Games. Olympism is defined as “a philosophy of life, exalting and combining in a balanced whole the qualities of body, will and mind. Blending sport with culture and education, olympism seeks to create a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good example and respect for universal fundamental ethical principles” (olympic.org, 2017). However, the standards set forth by this definition of olympism have called the IOC into question.…

    • 1639 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    The foremost celebrated world sports competition is undoubtedly the Olympic Games which hold quadrennial , featuring both summer and winter competition ( Wesley , 2012). It provides a worldwide stage for athletes from different nations to showcase their excellence. It is in additionally symbolizes an ideal and peaceful world . Nonetheless, the question of whether it is still worth hosting has arisen as the Games grow bigger. This essay will argue that the costs of the modern Olympics far outweigh the benefits in four aspects respectively, including economical , social , political and environmental consequence with respect to the impact on the host city.…

    • 1389 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays