Sport Tourism - Assignment Example

Benefits and Costs of Olympic Games Q. Discuss both the positive and the negative benefits of the Olympic Games to Canada and to BC.Introduction An Olympic Games generally leaves a huge mark on a host country as noted on the host city. The impact of the coveted Games has been on the increase for the last two and a half decades as the Games are becoming larger and complex. Expectations have been running high in regard to the delivery of the Olympic Games for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to make environmental conservation one of its major requirements to be satisfied by the host nations hence the idea of greener and cleaner Games (Robinson & Novelli, 2005).

The benefits and costs of Olympic Games being held in Canada may be marred by unending debates just before and after the end of the games as is the case in other nations that have hosted the Olympic Games before. Ideally, it is not possible the exact cost of staging world games of such magnitude since there are no accepted standards and mechanisms of assessing related expenditures. However, the staging nation obviously has to benefit in many ways from such a global participation thus it must provide an increase in GDP, creates numerous jobs, the influx of sport tourists and normal tourists are known to flock in the staging nations hence provision of more revenues for the hosting as well as other cities of the host nation.

Small and medium businesses usually receive a big boost from such a sporting event as the spending power is normally high. The presence of high performance sports people is a form of inspiration to the youths of a nation such as Canada. The hosting nation also receives a major facelift on its infrastructural set up. Although supporters of Olympic Games do argue that the benefits are much more that the negative effects, still such a sporting event must bring problem of overcrowding, targets of hooliganism that includes terrorist activities, increased taxes and cost of living due to high spending and ready market for products and services.

The Games also disrupts the normal systems of a country as it is common to find diversion of roads and in most cases schooling activities are in jeopardy as focus is shifted to such an event. In addition, there are some unanticipated burdens that may only show up if the Games are largely perceived to be a failure thus the host nation image in shattered in the global branding (Robinson & Novelli, 2005).ReferenceRobinson, M. & Novelli, M. (2005) Niche Tourism: An introduction In: Niche Tourism: contemporary issues, trends and cases.

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