THE IMPACT ON TOURISM OF HOSTING THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Abstract

This paper deals with the expected impact in terms of tourism on the Olympic city and its
territory when organising the Olympic Games. It shows that expectations of a positive impact
on tourism are used to justify a candidacy since the 1980s. In addition, the article identifies
indicators to measure these positive or negative consequences during three organisational
phases of very different lengths: before (including the candidacy), during and after the Olympics.
Four cases of Games in the last twenty years highlight the difficulty of interpreting the available
statistics. In conclusion, the establishment of an ad hoc tourism observatory for future Olympic
Games is proposed.