Olympics have negative effect on tourism
Thursday, 10 Jul 2008 11:29
Hosting the Olympic Games has a negative effect on inbound tourism growth, according to a new report.
The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) study concludes that visitors are likely to stay away from a country during and following the Games.
Tom Jenkins, ETOA's executive director, explains: "The principal problem is the impression that everything will be overcrowded and overpriced and this blights a region."
He also noted that the Games have a detrimental effect on the "word of mouth" sales mechanism, further deterring tourists.
The report examines the experience of Olympic cities and host countries in the past and Mr Jenkins said that unrealistic expectations have often been met with real shortfalls in tourism demand.
Since the Athens Olympics, Greece has seen rivals Croatia and Turkey perform significantly better in the tourism stakes and visitors to Australia declined for three years in a row after the 2000 games in Sydney.
In Beijing, hotel occupancy rates are falling with less than two months before the 2008 Olympic Games begin.
Fewer than 50 per cent of four-star and fewer than 80 per cent of five-star Beijing hotel rooms are booked, according to the Beijing Tourist Bureau.