1. Introduction
The report covers legacy of tourism during Olympic Games held in the year 2012 at London. It seeks to find out ways in which Olympic Games had an impact on tourism sector in London from various perspectives including environmental, economical, social and cultural front.
The data has been assimilated by primary and secondary sources of research.
2. Literature review – general theories
2.1 Sporting events, mega-events and the Olympics – definitions
Olympic Games are a sporting event that has been created with a view to bring in champion athletes from different nations on one ground and foster the spirit of oneness. There are a series of events that last for a couple of days showcasing various competitions amongst athletes specializing
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Economies of popular sports destinations those are reliant on sports tourism are dependent on the flow of players and supporters of games ranging from rugby, gold, ski, football, cricket etc. Sports add to close to 25% of the total earning of some tourist destinations (TRDN, 2010).
Sports tourism gained exclusive tag for spinning multi-million dollar business. Past decade has depicted trends indicating a surge in revenue generated by sports tourism in the global market. Leading federal agencies like British Tourist Authority and English Tourism Board are of an opinion that 20% trips were made on account of sports enthusiasts and close to 50% of tourist vacationers increase participation in sports events (TRDN, 2010).
Certain sports have gained popularity on account of increase coverage from the media. Coverage of sports events on TV has improved quiet a lot since last decade and it has become more appealing. Despite of ease of access provided by various mediums, there are some sports fanatics who continue to value physical presence more than watching sports on TV or with the help of some other device. Media presents the sports events and sports starts in a way that it induces the audience to be personally present and captivate the moments. Media does everything to attract not just eyeballs but footfalls too. It has greatly succeeded in doing so as per our observations since past one decade. They attract fans by offer incredible sports offers and arrange for classy events, for instance after hours lounge session in case of cricket, weekend special events for horse racing and
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.
The Games have always been an easy target for political protests, bitter disputes, and even acts of terrorism. The Games are no longer about sportsmanship and athletic competition, they are now about nationalism and whose country is the better country. The Olympics were "intended to unite the countries of the world through friendly competition. Unfortunately, since its founding, international feuds and disputes have found their way in to the Olympics" (Siggers 1).
Sharpley, R., and Telfer, D. J., 2002. Tourism and Development Concepts and Issues. Bristol: Channel View Publications.
Close, Paul, David Askew, and Xin Xu. The Beijing Olympics the Political Economy of a Sporting Mega-event.. Hoboken: Taylor & Francis, 2006.. 34-35
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.
Major Sporting Events and Their Effect on the Regional and National Economies The term 'economic impact' used in isolation is interpreted in different ways in both short and long term. Therefore, UK sport has adapted the following definition within its major events strategy: 'The net economic change in a host community that results from spending attributes to a sports event or facility'. (Turco and Kelsey 1992) I will look at how Major Sporting events within the U.K; boost the local, regional and national economy. I will use examples of sporting events held within the U.K and assess whether or not they have been beneficial to the local, regional and national areas Stimulate and reinforce sports development [IMAGE]
Sports throughout history have shown close ties and relations to values and cultures of a society. Sports and competition have adapted and grown as the world and people have grown and developed. Sports are often seen as simple consequence of the industrial revolution. The Impact of increased urbanization, better communication and transportation, as well as more time and income for specialization, all led to the creation of sports. (szymanski). In essence As the public sphere grew so did the concept of sport. (Szymanski). Even the impact colonization had on spreading sports, shows the congruence between the development of society and development of modern sports. What make sports very unique is that they always bring about a sense of culture
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.
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.
Tourism is often associated with traveling to places away from home. Tourism has a big impact on the economic growth of some countries, which define the shape of their cities by producing different sectors like historic districts, convention centers, museums, malls, hotels, restaurants, and the list can be endless. Furthermore, tourism elements have been developed by cities for a variety of reasons including: situating themselves in the world by drawing a positive image and attracting visitors and for their money.
The economic impact of media sports illustrates the central importance of our culture. For example: Statistics show that Americans spend more than $60 billion annually on sports (it is between 1% and 2% of Gross National Product). Being a star in media sports in America means receiving a temporary income of 6 or 7 figures. Personal Identification and Heroes Sports fans often identify themselves with teams, players, and regions so that outcome takes on personal significance to them.... ...
Sports are loved by many people, it is not just a game to these people it is a way of life, the industry entertains society and gives them an escape from the norms of life. The continuing growth of the sports industry creates more jobs for people which keeps the economy strong and fewer people from unemployment
Global events benefit regional, tourism and community development. Take for instance the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. They both are events held globally that increase visitor’s expenditure and length of stay while improving destination awareness and increasing civic pride. Janecko, Mules and Ritchie (2002) explain events in small regional destinations are obviously beneficial and often play an important role in tourism development and thereby in regional development however, differ due to size and scale of the event. Global events create employment and increase labour supply, expenditures and even the standard of living. ‘As local economics have adapted to changing to global dynamics, the hosting of international events has become more commonplace and can play a significant role in local development, acting as a catalysts for jo...
Tourism is an important and intricate element to society. It affects economical, social, cultural and environmental elements. Tourism can be argued to have a negative impact on the environment and decrease our already depleting resources, but tourism can also be argued to be a major contributor to strengthening economies, spread cultural traditions and improve people’s lives. Tourism