The cost of the Olympic Games outweighs the benefits
Held once every four years, Olympic Games is a place where legendary athletes of an era show extraordinary talents, a place where the spirit of sportsmanship is carried forward and the breathtaking records are set. Along with the changes of events qualified to compete in the Olympic Games since 1896, more developed and advanced infrastructures are needed to establish to provide a national arena. There is no doubt that holding a grand international event such as the Olympic Games could gain world status for the hosting city, increased the city economy and contributed to the urban regeneration, whereas some argue the mass expenses involved in organizing the Games and the failure to reuse the
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Firstly, regarding the economy, it is an advantage of hosting the Olympic Games as it encourages the influx of tourists’ duration for the Games, which lead to the increase in a short-term economic growth. According to Sands (2008), growing numbers of foreign visitors arrival was recorded even a few years after the Games was held. Acts as a catalyst, statistics from the China National Tourism Administration (cited in Sands, 2008) depicts the number of 3.8 million tourists entered Beijing, with a growth of approximately 12 percent over 2006, in the year before the 2008 Olympic Games was held. Over 40 million visitors had arrived in 2015, ten times more than the numbers in 2007, with a 21 percent growth over 2006.It is estimated that the tourists’ consumptions in 2008 had contributed approximately 4000 million renminbi in the economy (ibid.). Moreover, derived by the sudden inflow of visitors, investment in infrastructures and transports facilities expanded to enlarge the city capacity and provide efficient carriers. Sands (2008) noted that about 90 training centers and stadiums including the …show more content…
In addition to the economic growth of the city communication, advertising, sports, clean energy, and retail sectors, the Olympic Games is also promoting the majority of these areas onto the world stage (Essex & Chalkley, 2004). Regards as a tremendous honor for the hosting city, Olympic Games could put the city under the global spotlight, and attract far-ranging media attention, which acts as a free platform for city marketing and international promotion. Giving a chance for the city to reverse the stereotyping impression and reveal its true image to the world. As Lewis (2015) indicated the opportunity of hosting the 2008 Olympic Games for China to exhibit how civilized and democratic it is and to show evidence for its capacity to step on the global stage, in the same approaches as the internationalization of Japan and South Korea. Besides, the Games will create an atmosphere for the increase participation in volunteer work, which is the lack in the materialistic society and represents a change in selfishness mindset (New Statesman, 2005). On account of the strengthening effect on the international trades and mutual recognition, the Olympic Games is
Since 776 BCE, the Olympics have been a way for people of different cultures to come together and compete in friendly competition. In 1892 the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, although it had been over a thousand years since the last game it still had brought together an assortment of different religions and ethnic groups together. Many factors shaping the Olympic Games reflect the changes that have taken place in our world since the last game in 393 CE in Greece such changes include woman’s suffrage, global economy, world wars, and proving competency.
In the summer of 1996, Atlanta Georgia played host to the 23rd modern Olympic games. It was easily the greatest thing to happen to Atlanta in the 90's and there were many benefits brought its way as a result. Of all these benefits, the most significant ones were (1) the legacy of all the facilities built for the event, (2) the revitalization of the downtown area, (3) the exposure it gave to the city and (4) the economic benefits it gained as a result of all this.
As the base of this essay is on how the Olympics have been used in the
There are many factors that have shaped the cutting edge Olympic development from 1892 to 2002. The unique objective was to make a global group through games rivalry. Much like the Ancient amusements between Greek city-expresses, the recreations were made to advance solidarity. Be that as it may, as time passed numerous overall occasions, for example, the Cold War and ladies' suffrage adjusted the objectives of the Olympics. Political perspectives and developments started to shape the Olympics. Furthermore, economic increases and interests turned into an essential part of the Olympics. The cooperation of countries amid the twentieth century included patriotism, and additionally social, political, and economic purposes behind joining and taking
In the past the Olympic games were used as a way for the Greeks to honor their gods. Today the games are not an honoring but more of a social gathering. What’s great about the games today is that everyone has equal opportunity to compete. No matter your gender, size, ethnicity, or wealth, all you have to do is work hard and
Billions of dollars and hours are spent, every four years, preparing for the Olympics. In the mid 1990’s, the schedule was modified to have alternating summer and winter games on a biyearly cycle. Countries fight for the honor of hosting these worldwide games. At first glance, it may seem exciting and glamorous to be chosen to host the games. The Olympics can offer the opportunity for the world to see the host city and surrounding area at its best, potentially generating future tourism and fame. A short term economic boom may result due to the creation of jobs, added tourist revenue, and other growth. Hosting the Olympics generates excitement and enthusiasm in cities and countries that may need a boost. However, when one takes a look further
I have elaborated elsewhere* my view that hosting the Olympics is a mug’s game, and the fact that cities all over the world vie with each other to volunteer for the self-sacrificial role of host is just another example of the tragic human tendency to be guided by hope over experience. In London’s case the only tangible gains for the billions spent are a pleasant enough public park in Stratford E and a stadium so surplus to any meaningful requirement that the government has been reduced to letting West Ham play around in it. The intangible effect, which is far from being a gain, is the perception that the British public is utterly enthralled by
The IOC over its history has had to balance two different spheres. One of those being its morals and ideas of "Olympism," and the other being the generation of funds to allow their programs to be financially solvent, and have a wider world impact. As the Olympic Games continue on year over year they have seen rising costs in putting on their events which in the past had led the host cities to incur substantial amounts of debt and threaten the games ability to continue. This issue has forced the International Olympic Committee to engage in commercialism, and compromise on their want to be a perfectly moral organization. Through the IOC 's Olympic charter Olympism as "a way of life based on the joy found in effort, the educational value of good
The Olympic Games are the leading worldwide sport event that held every 4 years, featuring thousands of international athletes from more than 200 nations participating in a variety of sports competitions. Although the Games are about winning the sports competitions, they also provide a platform for the nations throughout the world to learn different cultures and share uniqueness. The Games are important, and have to be held because they transmit a message of friendship and peaceful between nations.
With over two hundred countries participating, the Olympic Games is easily considered as one of the largest multisport event known to history. The Olympics are held at a different country, and even more rarely at the same city. For a country to be chosen to host the Olympics, the country’s National Olympic Committee (the country’s representatives for the Olympics) nominates a city (from the country they represent) that they think has potential in hosting the Olympics nine years prior to when they wish to host the Olympics. It is a two year process that consists of: Application Phase, Candidate Phase and the Election of the Host City. The country that wins the election is given seven years to prepare for the Olympics. (International Olympic Committee, n.d., p. xx-xx) The hosting country expends billions of dollars, usually money they don’t have, preparing for the Olympics. Then the question is raised 'why would a country go through so much trouble and spend an outrageous amount of money to host this event?' Throughout this discussion paper it will address all the pros and cons for a country to host the Olympics. It will also see if a smaller sports event can produce the same benefits the Olympic offers with less cost and risk.
The Olympic Games. The biggest international sports competition in which the worlds’ best athletes compete from all around the world to win medals for their countries. The Olympics have been a worldwide tradition since the eighth century BC, but it has hardly benefited us as a species. Every time we have the Games, our resources are abused in order to create the Olympics we desire. Huge amounts of money are used to build venues and make medals, only leading up to the countries who host the Games going into debt afterwards. There are only rare cases in which the countries earn money from hosting the Olympics, but most of the time the debt that they get themselves into take years, or even decades to pay off. You might ask yourself, why do we even host the Olympics, if it has these huge disadvantages? The answer is because we want pride for our countries, no matter how temporary it is. Knowing this, we can safely say, that the Olympic Games do not help us grow as a species.
In every major sports event, like the FIFA World Cup or the Olympics, there’s always a huge celebration and a positive vibes surrounding such events. Hosting these events are usually a great honor to the selected countries and bring a lot of favorable consequences with it. However, no one realized that whenever these big sporting events occur and are hosted, brings as much negative consequences which counterbalances all the good things that comes with it. So, the question remains, is the Olympics a Cash Cow or a Money Pit to the hosting countries? In my opinion, the Olympics could actually bring more benefit that loss to the selected countries to host it, which are to bring positive economic and cultural benefits, either a Legacy or a Money pit for the hosting countries, hosting this event could promote development for the educational legacy and finally eradicating poverty throughout the citizens.
One may disagree that hosting Olympics is not worthwhile as it requires a city or a country to bring out an enormous sum of money for the preparation and planning of hosting the Olympics. Zimbalist (2012, pp. 116) says that the summer Games roughly generates a total of $5-$6 billion and almost half of it belongs to the International Olympic Committee. On the other hand, the cost of the games has increased roughly
... able to be the competitors of the Olympic Games, this is an internationally recognized action for them. If the IOC did not co-ordinate this event well, believe that the development of Olympic Games may not be as well as today.
Introduction Today, the Olympic Games are the world's largest pageant of athletic skill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerce and politics. Well-known throughout the world the games have been used to promote understanding and friendship among nations, but have also been a hotbed of political disputes and boycotts. The Olympic games started thousands of years ago and lasted over a millennium.. The symbolic power of the Games lived on after their demise, and came to life again as the modern Olympic Games being revived in the last century. Both the modern and Ancient Olympics have close similarities in there purpose and in there problems.