It’s good to see that the Olympics can have a positive effect on a host city. Frankly, I think too many people are pessimistic about what the Olympics will do for Vancouver, but here’s some measureable facts based on what happened for Turin, Italy. (taken from the ESPN article)
Besides the new sports venues and increase in tourism and recognition, the Olympics brought something more profound: The games helped boost Turin’s self-image.
“The Turin Olympics of 2006 changed the history of the city,” Vaciago said. “It was a forgotten city, out of sight, that was losing trust in its capacity and professionalism. Now Turin has recovered trust in itself.”
Here is the quantifiable legacy: Turin leapt to the fourth-most visited Italian city, after Rome, Florence and Venice, according to Vaciago and Turin tourism officials.
Before the Olympics, the Michelin Guide rated Turin worth the detour. Now, it is rated worth a trip on its own. Before the games, the Lonely Planet guidebook described Turin as an industrial city near Milan. Now, Milan is described a commercial center near Turin, Vaciago notes with no small amount of pride.
You can read the full article here.
It’s finally 2010 and it’s our time to shine, Vancouver. Anyone else looking forward to the Olympics?!