The world of change
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Sydney Olympics Case Study
The Sydney Olympics is chosen as a case study here not because it resembles most closely the predicted situation of London in 2012, but because as the most recent Games it gives us the best information on the current state of the Games and the social political environment in which the Games exists.
In the absence of an ex-post study on the economic effects, qualitative and anecdotal themes will be examined. In any case, it is often such factors that largely determine the public consensus on the relative success rather than complicated, and contestable, I-O and CGE analyses. Much as the Atlanta Games was remembered for petty-terrorism and Salt Lake for scandal, it seems that the Games become infamous rather easier than they are remembered for smooth operation. Hence, the political risks are high, with even comparatively minor hiccups or dissent exaggerated through pressure groups and media multiplication.
What then, is the lasting impression of the 2000 Sydney Games? What return has been gained from a combined public and private investment of AU$ 3.4 billion? The majority of expected return of hosting the Games has been estimated to be returned through tourism (Chalip, 2000). A plethora of tourism 'leverage' devices were enacted to offset the post-Games lull commonly observed in other cities...