London Olympic Games 2012 - Report Example

Number Section introduction: Rationale, Aims and Objectives This report describes the issue of tourism legacy in London. The main focus was on tourism legacy of one destination that has hosted the Olympic Games event. Literature review reveals that mega-events always leave a tourism legacy due to the media coverage that the event gives the host nation of city. This has been observed in Turin, Sydney, Athens and London. This research focused on reporting the tourism legacy from observational results of the actual events taking place after the mega-event. It took a qualitative approach of research and investigated the legacy of tourism after the 2012 London Olympics. The aim The aim of this report is to identify, explore and understand the tourism legacy of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The research questions are as follows: 1). what is the infrastructure built for the Olympic Games and how is it being used today? 2). what is the tourism experience in Barcelona/London after the 1992/2012 Olympic Games? Justification Many city and government leaders have the perception that hosting a mega-event has long-term economic benefits to a region. This perception has been proven by evidence from various literature sources documenting the impact of mega-events of host cities. One of such impacts is the tourism legacy that event leaves behind. This is said to one of the long term benefits from hosting such an event. The aim of this research was to understand a tourism legacy of one European destination. Since other destinations have been researched before, and there is evidence about their tourism legacies, this research selected the 2012 London Olympics. This would provide first-hand experience on the tourism legacy that a mega-event creates, and provide fresh evidence to compare with the rest that indicate the positive economic impact of such events. This research provides evidence about the tourism legacy of an Olympic event which can be used to inform decision making on matters concerning mega-events in other regions. The Mega-event in Russia, for example, left a legacy of unused villages that were previously used during an Olympic event. London leaders learnt from this and transformed previously used villages into affordable housing. Section 2: Literature Review 2.1 Mega Events and Olympic Games Mega events are large scale events with mass popular appeal, a dramatic character, and international significance. Mega events are also defined by the complexity of their organization and deliver. For an event to be considered mega it has to have considerable consequences for the host country in terms of possible debt, infrastructure, and attraction (Schuessler 5). Malfas, Theodoraki and Houlihan note that an event should be considered mega by analyzing both its internal and external characteristics. Internal characteristics are such as those pertaining to its scale and duration. The scale refers to the number of individual sessions, number of spectators and participants, and levels of organizational complexity. External characteristics are such as the event’s impact on the host city and media and tourism attractiveness. An event can also be considered to be mega based on the expenditures on infrastructure and facility preparation. Some also argue that mega events are expressions of political ideologies, or tools of government policy. Mega events are also defined by the urban processes involved. An example is the renewal of urban space, the erection of a landmark structure as in the case of 1992 Olympics in Barcelona in which an extensive waterfront was created (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 212). From these descriptions, the concept of a mega event is that it is that which attracts a large number of people at international level, attracts the attention of media coverage, requires a large amount of capital to organize, and markets the host country as a brand. The host country may, or may not benefit from the event, but the event remains the country’s legacy. Olympics Olympic Games are international sporting events that are organized after every four years. There are summer and winter sports competitions that attract so many athletes from various countries. Olympic Games creation was inspired by ancient Greek games in the 8th century which were dedicated to their god Zeus. Over the years, Olympic Games have become the most important mega sporting events. Based on the evidence showing that events are currently perceived to a source of economic, social and environmental development in a country, most leaders believe that securing an Olympic would be a great opportunity to improve the social and economic aspects of the nations. Events are also considered as businesses hence attract a lot of investors. They have become a marketing tool for various businesses, especially the tourism industry. Through the events, tourists may increase especially during the low seasons. The event is expected to market the destination brand, and attract tourists who will come and consumer tourism industry services. The event is always organized with the hope that it will yield positive economic results (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 210). Because of its impacts on the economy of the nations that have previously hosted it, Olympic Games have become increasingly famous and are now compared to other mega-sporting events such as world championships and football world cup (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 210). 2.2 Impact and Legacy of Olympic Games 2.2.1 Socio-economic Impacts Cities decide on hosting mega-events because of its perceived benefits. The socio-economic benefits are not those obtained directly from the sale of tickets, sponsorship deal, and television rights, rather, they are what the country achieves in terms of advertising itself as a tourist destination market, and as a county that can support investment. This way the country has long term benefits that will contribute directly to the economy. More investors may develop businesses that will create employment opportunities, and more tourists will bring in more revenue through the tourism industry. Economic benefits are net economic changes in the host city (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 212). The event creates short- term jobs which boost the employees for the period of the event. There are large numbers of jobs created during the event that are directly associated with event organizers, and those that are indirectly linked to the event organization. These include jobs in the retail and tourism industry due to increased numbers of tourists. The construction industry requires major infrastructural development during that time, which creates a lot of jobs that end when the constructions also come to an end. Mega-events boost the tourism of the host country. This is because; journalists from all over the world visit the nation and expose its tourist attractions and services. The mega-event is always a chance for the host city and country to show to the world the brand constitutes. The journalists will not be focused on the event alone, but they may explore other things within the country. The culture, the tourist attractions and the services offered in the country’s service industry, can be something that some of them can document. Additionally, when journalists see something unique or attractive, they may give it coverage to reach the world. As a result of the 1996 Football European Championships, Britain got a tourism boom which pushed its trade balance into its first surplus. This was because of the high number of people and media who came and spent three weeks or more to attend Euro’96 matches, and spent approximately £120 million. The same happened in 1998 during the Football World Cup in France. About 10 to 15 million people visited the country and spent around half a billion on the tourism industry. The host countries are never sure of the number of visitors who will come, but this boosts the economy of a nation (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 212). Mega-events have a positive impact on the economy of the host countries due to its contribution to the tourism industry, but it also has a negative impact on the low-income residents of the cities. Mega-events affect land values and house market. Olympic Games like any other mega-events need the development of important infrastructure. Evidence from various mega-events and Olympic Games show that this requirement always result in people losing their homes, and people becoming more vulnerable to insecurity and vulnerability. The development of new infrastructure changes the city’s urban plan, which means that the event organizers and the government will need land, leading to the displacement of citizens. There is always the problem of escalating housing costs which reduce the availability of affordable housing, and public housing stock level. This was seen in Olympics in Sydney, in Barcelona, and in Atlanta (COHRE 15). Mega-events such as the Olympics can worsen the social problems of the region hosting. A good example is the case of Olympics in Atlanta. After Atlanta had won the bid, the event organizers pushed for the enactment of bills that made poverty a crime in the streets. An example of one of such bills was that which prohibited removing an item from a trash can. This led to the arrest of so many homeless men who were kept in jail. The federal government spent approximately $57 of tax payers’ money per day to shelter the homeless in city jails. Another issue is the use of public money to organize mega-events. This can place high amounts of debts on the taxpayers if the organizers incur debts that they are unable to pay through the event returns. A case in point is Nagano. The city suffered severe financial problems leading to a debt of £20 000 per household for its books to be balanced. Olympic Games have positive effects, one of which is developmental. Cities that host Olympics have been shown to embrace the event’s positive legacy features of the bid process and sustainability (COHRE 15). 2.2.2. Social-Cultural Impacts Mega-events can change a city’s image, for example, the city of Sheffield, which was originally a manufacturing city. After the 1980s recessions which led to job losses and drastic economic effects, the city changed its strategy and adopted a sport, leisure and tourism approach to development. This has since remained its strategy because of the boosts received from a mega-event held in 1991; the World Student Games and subsequent investments in sporting infrastructure. Mega-sporting events such as the Olympics can increase local interest in sports. The culture of sporting makes a significant contribution to the quality of life of the people (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 214). 2.2.3 Physical Impacts These are seen in the infrastructural development that comes along with hosting of the event. Hosting a mega-event requires infrastructural development that will change the physical appearance of the host city and nation. The roads leading to the destination will be improved, and this contributes to the economic development of the whole region. In some instances, a hallmark is always constructed which improves the physical environment of a place (Malfas, Theodoraki & Houlihan 214). There is always building of new sporting facilities which will benefit the locals once the event is over. The old ones are sometimes restructured; new and improved transport networks developed, and new facilities not directly related to the event constructed. This is always a chance for a large scale urban improvement. 2.2.4 Legacy of Olympic Games Over the years, there are numerous positive and negative legacies that the host cities have created through hosting of Olympic Games. These are almost similar to the impacts of mega-events described above, for example, Olympic games leave a host city with improved transport systems, improved economy, and transformed culture. International Olympic Committee has common legacies created by various hosts over the years. In 2012, the London changed its sporting strategy and focused more on the youth; invested 1 billion to create 6000 new community sports clubs (International Olympic Committee 1). The city had a large scale urban improvement through the transformation of Olympic Games facilities into housing and recreational facilities. The UK government invested in transforming the Olympic site into the “Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park” (International Olympic Committee 1). This includes new health centres, schools, housing, sports venues, and business spaces. The Olympic village was to be converted into new neighbourhoods of about 11,000 residents, and more that 2,800 flats. The legacy created by Olympic Games also depends on the host governance strategies. The UK, for example, has set an example of converting the facilities into affordable housing and recreational centres. Others could also convert the facilities for meaningful purposes (International Olympic Committee 1-10). Common legacies are improvements in the transport system, large scale urban improvement, improved education in various fields, jobs in the construction industry, encouraged volunteerism, improved public health systems, and cultural preservation and enhancement. These common characteristics have been observed in almost all Olympic Games events. They have been summarised from Olympic Games held in “Albertville 1992, Lillehammer 1994, Nagano 1998, Salt Lake City 2002, Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, and London 2012” (International Olympic Committee 1-10). 2.3. The Tourism Legacy of the Olympic Games Olympic Games hosting has always been to market the host destination as a tourist attraction site, and fit for investment. The tourism legacy of Olympic Games is that it promotes the host city and improves its tourism industry. For some regions, tourism may not have been the focus, but still Olympic Games event transforms the city and exposes it to the world hence improving its economic status. Such is the case with Turin. Turin was largely an industrial city, but after hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics, the city has become a new business and tourism centre. It has its culture, high technology industry, and its rich history to show to the world. This city has received increasing number of tourists after the 2006 Winter Olympics and has been hosting other events boosting its tourism industry. The facilities used during Olympic Games are now used for corporate sporting and leisure events. It is also indicated that the infrastructural improvement in the region has contributed to the success of the tourism industry. Turin’s Olympic Villages have been transformed and are currently used for accommodating tourists during both winter and summer seasons (Kaplanidou & Karadakis 112; Olympic Movement). Not all regions transform Olympic facilities for tourism use. Olympic Games events, however, advertise the country as a brand. China, for example, exposed its rich heritage and cultural relics (International Olympic Committee 3). One can guess the type of tourists who will be interested in visiting such sites. In Sydney, Olympic Games accelerated the development of Brand Australia by 10 years (International Olympic Committee 4). Australia is majorly a tourist destination country and with a mega-event exposing so many people from all over the world to its facilities, products, and services, it had to have such positive impact. Atlanta got more hotel room added to its hotel stock increasing the capacity, then by 9.3%. Barcelona also had positive tourism impacts. The capacity of the hotels grew by 38%, and Barcelona reigned for a long time among the most popular cities in the world. It was 5th among European cities and 12th in the world. Another city that its tourism industry benefited is Vancouver. After hosting the Olympic Games in 2010, the city received increased revenue from visitors who arrived from Australia, Britain, and Germany; an additional 314 million Canadian dollars. The nation also received one billion in advertising value (International Olympic Committee 6). Olympic Games improve the tourism industries of countries in which they are hosted. 2.4. Case-Study: The London Olympic Games 2012 The London Olympics Games took place started on 27th July and ended on 12th August 2012. These were summer games and involved athletes competing in a variety of sport on the road, in the water, on grass, in the open air, on the track and indoors. The total average number of Olympic sports is 28. In the beginning, that is in 1896 when the Olympic Games began; there were only nine ports; cycling, athletics, wrestling, fencing, swimming, weightlifting, shooting, gymnastics, and tennis. This changed over time with some games being included, and other excluded. In 2004, the Olympic sports consisted of the original nine plus 19 others which were; basketball, canoe, baseball, rowing, boxing, judo, softball, equestrian sports, badminton, football, modern pentathlon, handball, taekwondo, hockey, table tennis, triathlon, table tennis, volleyball and sailing (International Olympic Committee (b) 10). In the London Olympic 2012, there were a total of 26 Olympic sports in 34 venues, although the classification in the BBC report indicates that they were 36 Olympic sports. According to the BBC report, London Olympic sports included; “Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Boxing, Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, Cycling-BMX, Cycling-Mountain Bike, Cycling-Road, Cycling-Track, Diving, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastics-Artistic, Gymnastic-Rhythmic, Gymnastics-Trampoline, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Table Tennis, Taekwondo, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball, Water Polo, Weightlifting and Wrestling” (BBC). Canoe has been divided into two; Cycling divided into four types, gymnastics divided into three, Pentathlon divided into modern pentathlon, and simply pentathlon, and Swimming divided into two. This reduces the number of sports to 26 in 34 venues as indicated in Olympic reports. London Olympic Games also constituted 20 Paralympics sports in 21 venues, 10, 500 Olympic athlete, 4,200 Paralympic athletes, and more than 20,000 press and media (IPC). The two main events of the Olympic are Swimming and Athletics (International Olympic Committee). There was also the London Paralympics Games 2012 which began on 29th of August and ended on 9th September 2012. The Paralympics Games constituted 20 sports involving 4,237 athletes and 164 countries. The sports were; Wheelchair fencing, Archery, Wheelchair rugby, IPC Athletics, Table tennis, Boccia Cycling, Sailing, Equestrian, Sailing, Football 5-a-side, IPC swimming, Football 7-a-side, Wheelchair tennis, Goalball, Wheelchair basketball, Judo, Sitting volleyball, IPC Powerlifting, and IPC Shooting. Most of these games took place in London except for Rowing which took place at Eton Dorney, Sailing, which took place at Weymouth and Portland, and Road Cycling, which took place at Brands Hatch (IPC). Section 3: Research Methods This was a qualitative research. Qualitative research is used to understand a specific event or organization. The research method provides a picture of the order, structure, and broad patterns in events, or a group of participants. Applying this to the research on this mega-event, one can say that it helps in understanding the legacy of the event, that is, through observation of what the event leads to (Thomas, Nelson & Silverman 58). Information about social settings and behaviour can help in understanding the impact of such mega-events in a region. In this case, the observation and note taking on the infrastructures that were built for the event’s purpose will be reviewed to see the purposes they serve currently. One main characteristic of qualitative research is first-hand experience, like in this case where data collection will involve actual visiting of the London Olympic sites. It uses observation to collect data that is useful in generating in-depth descriptions of events and organizations. Observation is a method that involves spending long-standing amount of time in the setting, taking field notes throughout the observation (Thomas, Nelson & Silverman 359). The aim of this research was to understand the tourism legacy of London 2012 Olympics. Two main objectives were set to help achieve this aim; to find out the infrastructure built for this event, and how it is being used today, and the tourism experience in London after the 2012 event. Data collection was done through observation of Infrastructure sites and secondary research on London’s tourism experience after the Olympics Days Location of Observation Time Day 1 The Athletes Village in East London 9.00 am- 12.00 pm Day 2 ArcelorMittal Orbit at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm Day 3 Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 9.00am – 12.00 pm Day 4 The Copper Box at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm Day 5 Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 9.00 am – 12.00 pm Day 6 Lee Valley Velopark at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 1.00 pm – 3.00 pm Day 7 The stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park 9.00 am – 12.00 pm Data collection during observation involved taking records of the infrastructure, its purpose during the mega-event, and what it has currently been transformed into, or what it is being used for. Section 4: Discussion, Recommendations and Conclusions 4.1. Results and Discussion Just as presented above, this mega-event has created a legacy similar to previous Olympic Games legacies. It led to infrastructural improvements, increased tourist activity, change in culture of the host city, and improved the economy of UK. After the Olympics the city remains with improved transport networks, improved infrastructure, which they city has transformed for public use and revenue generation through national and international events. Such improvements contribute positively to the tourism industry. The hallmark acts as a tourist attraction, and the Olympic park, which is now Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park also acts as the event’s legacy. It has left behind facilities that the city government can use to generate revenue through sporting events. This will boost tourism since many visitors are expected to come during such events. 4.1.1 Research question 1). What is the infrastructure built for the Olympic Games and how is it being used today? Negative: The negative effects of Olympics could be such as unused event venues and infrastructure, and may be abandoned Olympic sites. London Olympic venues have all been transformed into something useful. The stadium that may have been the major cause of worry has been made a home ground for a football club. The only problem that may occur is if people refuse to move in the East village which was previously the Olympic village. Positive: After the 2012 London Olympics, major infrastructures were transformed into useful facilities. The Copper Box, which was used for modern pentathlon fencing, and handball preliminaries during Olympic Games, and Goalball for the Paralympic Games has now been transformed into a Basketball court, and venue for major events. It is now Lions Basketball team home ground, and a venue for pop concerts, basketball premiers. There is also a sports hall, a public gym and a café for public use. The Olympic village has now become the East village and will provide affordable residential areas for interested parties. The Aquatic centre was used for diving, swimming and synchronized swimming events during the Olympics. Currently, the centre has been transformed into a swimming centre for family fun, sessions and a café, and for swimming lessons. This contributes to a new culture of becoming the most physically active city. The Aquatic centre will also host international and national swimming and diving events. It will also host national and international swimming and diving events. Such events attract tourists and contribute positively to the economy of the city. The legacy of improved tourism will soon be met. Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre was previously used for wheelchair tennis during the Olympic games. This venue has been transformed into four indoor tennis courts, two hockey pitches, a club house, and six outdoor courts for both national and international events. The Stadium, which was used for the opening and closing ceremonies, and for athletics events, is set to be the home ground of West Ham United Football Club. It has been transformed into a category four venues. ArcelorMittal Orbit is a sculpture that was created as a hallmark of the London Olympics 2012. This remains a hallmark and a tourist attraction, especially with the major changes made on other structures. It is the tallest sculpture in Britain (376ft) and is linked to a mega-event in the region. Just like in other Olympic events, London Olympic 2012 remained with a trademark. Lee Valley Velo Park is also a park recreated for sports events such as a one-mile road cycle circuit and the 8km of mountain bike trails. It is located near the award winning Olympic Velodrome that sells it an event venue of its own kind. 4.1.2 What is the tourism experience in London after the 2012 Olympic Games? Mega-events boost the tourism of the host country. In 2012 after the Olympics, the tourism industry received a boost due to increased number of visitors that came because of the Olympic Games. It was estimated that the impact would be £890 million. This was exceeded to £2.4 billion expenditure on visitors, including those who came for the games, international tourists and local visitors (Thornton 17). Couper also indicates that there has been a 1% increase in international visitor numbers. The UK government and the people are optimistic that tourism will still receive a boost from the investments the government is currently making. Products and Services to offer: Currently, UK has no new tourism products to offer except for the new strategy of considering event visitors as tourists. The number of visitors who visit London for sporting events is still expected to increase due to the investments made on sporting events’ venues and infrastructure. Behavior of Tourists: Couper indicates that there has been a 2% increase in overseas tourists visit to the UK. This led to a 10% increase in earnings. With more investments, and the transformation of the Olympic park into an event’s venue as well as a tourist attraction park, more tourists are expected to visit the city. Impacts of tourism: The tourism strategy in London has changed. London is considered a destination well known to visitors from all over the world. The media coverage may renew its exposure, but its development of the sporting events’ venue is a new strategy of improving the performance of the tourism industry. Spectators, athletes, and other visitors related to the games the city hopes to host will be the target of its income in tourism apart from others. Good/bad experiences: The figures are a good experience to the UK tourism industry. A mega-event like the Olympics boosts the economy of the host city and nation. The Olympic Games provided an opportunity for London to promote itself as a tourist destination. These should have long term effects because of the media coverage it had and new development it recreated later. London also received increased number of visitors that boosted the tourism industry. 4.2 Limitations A short period after the Olympics, which is less than two years, may not be sufficient to provide the evidence needed to measure the impacts of the Olympic Games in 2012. Data collection was also limited to observations at Queen Elizabeth Park and the new East Village. 4.3 Recommendations The current available data only shows the transformation of various infrastructures used during the event, but does not prove the effective use of such transformed structures. Further research is needed to determine if the idea to transform such structures into what they are today was a good one. Additionally, the impacts on tourism are only speculated with very little evidence on the increase or decrease in the number of visitors in the city. Later, research should focus on finding out the impact of such changes, and the legacy on tourism in London. In conclusion, the London Olympics in 2012 left a tourism legacy yet to be confirmed. Works Cited BBC. “Olympic Sports”. BBC World News. August 13, 2012. Web. http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/2012/sports Centre On Housing Rights And Evictions (COHRE). Mega-Events, Olympic Games And Housing Rights. 2007. Web. http://tenant.net/alerts/mega-events/Report_Fair_Play_FINAL.pdf Couper, Alison. “Olympics Legacy Boosts British Tourism”. The Huffington Post. 29 July 2013. Web. http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/alison-couper/olympics-legacy-boosts-br_b_3669133.html International Olympic Committee. Legacies Of The Games Update - December 2013. FACTSHEET. 2013. 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Norderstedt: GRIN Verlag, 2011. Print. Thomas, Jerry, R., Nelson, Jack, K., and Silverman, Stephen, J. Research Methods in Physical Activity. Stanningley, Leeds: Human Kinetics, 2011. Print. Thornton, Grant. Meta-Evaluation of the Impacts and Legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Report 5: Post-Games Evaluation. 2013. Web. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/224181/1188-B_Meta_Evaluation.pdf Read More