David Beckham, the former England captain and part time underwear salesman, together with Princess Anne will receive the Olympic flame in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens tomorrow.
The princess, Beckham and a delegation including Sebastian Coe, will return to the UK with the flame on a special BA2012.
How is that ordinary passengers are not allowed to bring lighters onto planes, but these guys can bring a naked flame?
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.olympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Showing posts with label Athens. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Athens. Show all posts
Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Thursday, 5 November 2009
Illusory Boost To Tourism
Despite the hype spewed forth by the IOC and politicians as to the tourism benefits arising from hosting the Olympics, the reality is in fact very different.
That at least is the view of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).
The association have issued a report that states that the London 2012 Olympic Games may in fact have a "detrimental" impact on tourism in London.
The report notes that cities that host the games suffer a drop in tourism in the years around the event.
ETOA state that London will most likely see a fall of around 2.5 million visitors and a loss of £1.5BN of revenue.
The claims made by politicians, and those with a financial interest in the games, of a boost from the Olympics are "wholly illusory" according to ETOA.
ETOA used data from the past six Olympics to compile the report. All the host cities experienced a major disruption to their normal tourism market, and none showed any obvious signs of tourism growth.
Beijing experienced a fall in international visitor arrivals of 30% in the month before the games.
Sydney lost "significant ground" to other Australian and New Zealand cities.
ETOA Executive Director, Tom Jenkins, is quoted by the BBC:
"We have yet to have a games where tourism has not been disrupted, and disrupted in a way that causes real harm.
Even in the case of Athens, where they carefully restricted new capacity, there were considerable losses before and after the games both in the capital and throughout Greece."
The costs of these ruinous games clearly outweigh the benefits.
Question: Why on earth do cities still compete to hold them?
Answer: The egos of the politicians, and the money to be made by the vested interests (eg multi nationals) with no local stake in the city/country hosting them.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
That at least is the view of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA).
The association have issued a report that states that the London 2012 Olympic Games may in fact have a "detrimental" impact on tourism in London.
The report notes that cities that host the games suffer a drop in tourism in the years around the event.
ETOA state that London will most likely see a fall of around 2.5 million visitors and a loss of £1.5BN of revenue.
The claims made by politicians, and those with a financial interest in the games, of a boost from the Olympics are "wholly illusory" according to ETOA.
ETOA used data from the past six Olympics to compile the report. All the host cities experienced a major disruption to their normal tourism market, and none showed any obvious signs of tourism growth.
Beijing experienced a fall in international visitor arrivals of 30% in the month before the games.
Sydney lost "significant ground" to other Australian and New Zealand cities.
ETOA Executive Director, Tom Jenkins, is quoted by the BBC:
"We have yet to have a games where tourism has not been disrupted, and disrupted in a way that causes real harm.
Even in the case of Athens, where they carefully restricted new capacity, there were considerable losses before and after the games both in the capital and throughout Greece."
The costs of these ruinous games clearly outweigh the benefits.
Question: Why on earth do cities still compete to hold them?
Answer: The egos of the politicians, and the money to be made by the vested interests (eg multi nationals) with no local stake in the city/country hosting them.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Friday, 24 April 2009
Piffle!
The IOC, having completed their two day inspection of London's preparations for the 2012 Olympics, have magnanimously stated that the UK is justified in spending £12BN (including £2BN running costs) on the games.
Given that the money is not coming out of the IOC's pockets, and the continuing existence of the games justifies their junkets and salaries, the IOC would say that.
Denis Oswald, the head of the Coordination Commission is quoted in The Guardian:
"In every city where you organise the Games, it's a unique opportunity to improve the infrastructure in one way or another.
If you look at most previous cities like Athens, they have a new airport, they have a new train line, they have a new metro line, they have a new tramway, they have a new motorway... all this was done on the occasion of the Games.
These were investments which were needed by the city in order to be a modern city and I think it's a very similar situation with the east end part of London which needed improvement. The Games are just the best opportunity to do it."
Oswald neglects to mention that the hapless citizens of Greece will be spending years paying off the debts of the 2004 Olympics, and that many of the venues constructed for the Athens games are now rotting.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Given that the money is not coming out of the IOC's pockets, and the continuing existence of the games justifies their junkets and salaries, the IOC would say that.
Denis Oswald, the head of the Coordination Commission is quoted in The Guardian:
"In every city where you organise the Games, it's a unique opportunity to improve the infrastructure in one way or another.
If you look at most previous cities like Athens, they have a new airport, they have a new train line, they have a new metro line, they have a new tramway, they have a new motorway... all this was done on the occasion of the Games.
These were investments which were needed by the city in order to be a modern city and I think it's a very similar situation with the east end part of London which needed improvement. The Games are just the best opportunity to do it."
Oswald neglects to mention that the hapless citizens of Greece will be spending years paying off the debts of the 2004 Olympics, and that many of the venues constructed for the Athens games are now rotting.
Olympic Medals won during the Beijing 2008 Olympics
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Lack of Support For London Games
The BBC conducted a survey in April that showed that 60% of Londoners felt that the 2012 games would bring no real benefit to London.
Ex-Athens mayor Dora Bakoyannis has now pitched in, and said that Londoners need to "endorse" the games.
She is quoted on the BBC:
"You need the big support of the people in this city.
You need the big support of the people in this city."
Ms Bakoyannis, who is now Greece's foreign minister, also said:
"They have to be proud of London, they have to be ambitious.
You can do nothing alone."
Maybe so, but even though the residents of Athens ended up supporting the gamnes in 2004 they were still saddled with an enormous bill that will take decades to pay off, and derelict stadiums and venues that are of no use to man nor beast.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Ex-Athens mayor Dora Bakoyannis has now pitched in, and said that Londoners need to "endorse" the games.
She is quoted on the BBC:
"You need the big support of the people in this city.
You need the big support of the people in this city."
Ms Bakoyannis, who is now Greece's foreign minister, also said:
"They have to be proud of London, they have to be ambitious.
You can do nothing alone."
Maybe so, but even though the residents of Athens ended up supporting the gamnes in 2004 they were still saddled with an enormous bill that will take decades to pay off, and derelict stadiums and venues that are of no use to man nor beast.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Monday, 2 June 2008
The Legacy - A Warning
Much is made by the London Olympics organisers of the so called "legacy" of the Games. They assure us that the £12BN of our money that is currently budgeted to be spent on these games will give rise to a legacy that will last, and benefit the people of London.
They should take heed as to what has happened to the "legacy" of the Athens Games of 2004.
The buildings constructed for the Athens Olympics (cost £9BN) are fly blown, closed to the public and covered in graffiti.
21 of the 22 Olympic venues are in disrepair, and are under guard to prevent vandalism.
Greece's legacy of the games is a national budget deficit of 6.1%, more than twice the maximum allowed under European Union rules.
Greece has found that the games were a complete waste of time and money.
Let us trust that the London organisers take heed.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
They should take heed as to what has happened to the "legacy" of the Athens Games of 2004.
The buildings constructed for the Athens Olympics (cost £9BN) are fly blown, closed to the public and covered in graffiti.
21 of the 22 Olympic venues are in disrepair, and are under guard to prevent vandalism.
Greece's legacy of the games is a national budget deficit of 6.1%, more than twice the maximum allowed under European Union rules.
Greece has found that the games were a complete waste of time and money.
Let us trust that the London organisers take heed.
Don't forget to visit www.theolympicswarehouse.com
www.olympicsdiary.com brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Tuesday, 18 September 2007
House Prices
Estate agents are never shy to talk up house prices, and use every trick in the book to do so. Therefore it should come as no surprise to learn that they are using the 2012 London Olympics as a tool with which to underpin the already overpriced London housing market.
Ludlow Thompson, a firm of estate agents, has said that the 2012 Olympic Games in East London could boost property prices by £50K-£100K. The theory being that the regeneration of the area will allow first time buyers, who cannot afford central London, to enter the market.
It is not without precedent that the Olympics can, on occasions, boost house prices. Reports highlight that property prices rose by 63% in Athens in the 5 years prior to the 2004 games, while those in Sydney rose 50% in the same period before the 2000 games and those in Barcelona rose 131% in the 5 years before the 1992 games.
However, as we know, London is already in the midst of a house price boom that already appears to be unsustainable. It is highly unlikely that the Olympics will boost prices in the manner that the estate agents would have us believe.
Ludlow Thompson, a firm of estate agents, has said that the 2012 Olympic Games in East London could boost property prices by £50K-£100K. The theory being that the regeneration of the area will allow first time buyers, who cannot afford central London, to enter the market.
It is not without precedent that the Olympics can, on occasions, boost house prices. Reports highlight that property prices rose by 63% in Athens in the 5 years prior to the 2004 games, while those in Sydney rose 50% in the same period before the 2000 games and those in Barcelona rose 131% in the 5 years before the 1992 games.
However, as we know, London is already in the midst of a house price boom that already appears to be unsustainable. It is highly unlikely that the Olympics will boost prices in the manner that the estate agents would have us believe.
Monday, 14 May 2007
The White Elephant
Adding another nail in the coffin of the London 2012 Olympics, is the Greater London Assembly. They have issued a report that notes that the 2012 Olympics will struggle to bring a boom in jobs, sport and housing.
The report also notes that the Games could result in "white elephant" venues, job losses and a "couch potato" generation hooked on television sports coverage.
The report is based on the impact of previous Olympics at Athens, Sydney, Atlanta and Barcelona. The all too clear conclusions are that venues "struggled to make their mark" in improving employment and sports participation.
The authors of the report, Prof Gavin Poynter and Dr Iain MacRury, said that Greece actually lost 70,000 jobs after the 2004 Games.
In Atlanta some neighbourhoods lost housing to the Olympics development.
The 2012 Olympics will prove to be a colossal waste of time and money.
The report also notes that the Games could result in "white elephant" venues, job losses and a "couch potato" generation hooked on television sports coverage.
The report is based on the impact of previous Olympics at Athens, Sydney, Atlanta and Barcelona. The all too clear conclusions are that venues "struggled to make their mark" in improving employment and sports participation.
The authors of the report, Prof Gavin Poynter and Dr Iain MacRury, said that Greece actually lost 70,000 jobs after the 2004 Games.
In Atlanta some neighbourhoods lost housing to the Olympics development.
The 2012 Olympics will prove to be a colossal waste of time and money.
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