Every two years, a city becomes a global stage for two weeks, showcasing talented athletes from nations around the world. When the Olympics come to town, the host city is the absolute celebrity, up for ultimate props or terrible scrutiny. A city’s reputation during the Olympics can launch it into global fame, placing it on tourists’ bucket lists, or into utter ruin, wiping it from the map. This year, Sochi hosts the XXII Olympic Winter Games and the XI Paralympic Winter Games, and if all goes well, excluding the yellow water and lack of doorknobs, the city will host the Russian Formal 1 Gran Prix from 2014 until 2020 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
The Games of the XXXI Olympiad will be held in the World Heritage Site of Rio de Janeiro, and it is the first time a South American or Portuguese-speaking country will host the event. The city pitched a compacted plan to allow for maximum convenience, and of the 34 competition venues, 18 are already functioning. Rio de Janeiro will get to practice for the Olympics this year as it hosts the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Around the city, Corcovado with its famous Christ the Redeemer statue and Sugarloaf Mountain with its cable car rides offer fantastic views from more than 2230 feet and 1200 feet, respectively. The Carnaval, held for enjoyment before 40 days of Lent penance, beckons more than 2 million viewers to the sama school parades every year.
Asia will dominate the Olympic stage late in the decade with PyeongChang, South Korea, hosting the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, and Tokyo, Japan, hosting the Games of the XXXII Olympiad. PyeongChang is located in the Taebaek Mountains and is a popular tourist destination for hikers who enjoy challenging Mount Seoraksan. Built for the Olympics, the Alpensia Ski Resort has six slops for skiing and snowboarding and a special area reserved for snowboarders to practice tricks. The resort is open year-round.
Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympic Games and will be the first Asian city to host the Olympic Games twice. The National Olympic Stadium, used in the 1964 Olympics, will receive a $1 billion upgrade and reconstruction for the 2019 Rugby World Cup and the 2020 Olympics. Already 22 venues are in use. The best part of the Olympics in Tokyo (other than the fresh, exquisite, and authentic sushi) is the rich history with 1500 year-old shrines and medieval castles to explore.
Looking for an Olympic venue to visit? Contact your local travel agent now.
