One of the utmost indexes of the effects of the Olympic Games is its impact on tourism. The sports tourism implication for the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympic Games and all involved are enormous. Olympics have lengthy and rich history on tourism. In 1990 Barcelona had 118 hotels. By 1992, this capacity had risen slightly to 148 hotels. Moreover, by 2002 these figure increased drastically to 223. In 2001 tourism in Barcelona, Spain, rose to 7.6%, whereas worldwide tourism fell by 1.3%.
In 1992 Olympic Games have been referred to as the “Communication Games” and not only in term of symbolic culture and tourism aspects, but also for the significant role played by television rights in their funding. The 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, saw all of the 10C countries participating for the first time since Munich 1972. The 1964 Olympic Games were among the best organized and the best executed in the history of the Games. When Tokyo first hosted the Olympic Games in 1964, it was seen as an emerging nation recovering from World War II and reinvent the wheel as a powerful economic powerhouse.
Sports Tourism sector which is one of the largest revenues generating sporting industry of host nation and Olympic Games has suffered huge losses- the business of Tourism and an economic downturn. The Olympic Games is not only a sporting spectacle, there is massive money riding on it also. The Olympic Games were initially expected to be a huge tourist draw but health concerns have banned foreign spectators.
In 2019 Japan hosted 31.9 million foreign tourists, who spend approximately $44 billion. The ongoing deadly Covid-19 Pandemic has tested the sporting worldwide like never before and especially postponed Tokyo Olympics.
The Olympics is scheduled to start in Tokyo on July 24. Hardest hit are hotels and restaurants, transportation, infrastructure and consumer retail firms. A worldwide Covid-19 outbreak could scupper the Olympics in Tokyo. In this case the Covid-19 virus, can derail its usual efficiency. Unity in Diversity is one of the core concepts of the Tokyo Olympics.
The tourism economic implications for the 10C, Tokyo Games and all involved are enormous. Tourist need to follow Covid appropriate behavior at all times. Tokyo is under a state of emergency and no decision has yet been taken on whether any local spectators would be allowed to attend the mega Olympic sports festival.
The Writer is an Associate Professor of DU and is a consultant with Limca book of Records.