SETE / 3rd CONFERENCE ON TOURISM & DEVELOPMENT
Athens, Greece, 11th October 2004
Speech by Dr. Dawid de Villiers, Deputy Secretary-General
of World Tourism Organization (WTO)
THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPORT TOURISM
It is with great pleasure that I rise to talk about Sport and Tourism development here in
Greece, the country that gave birth to competitive sport and where the revival of this ancient
tradition took place over a hundred years ago when the first modern Olympic Games were
held here in Athens. In this same city, Olympic history reached new heights only a few weeks
ago when the recent Games came to a triumphant conclusion. The verdict of the President of
the IOC on the Athens Games was unequivocal: “They were unforgettable, dream games”. I
congratulate the organizers of the Games and the people of Greece.
Sport and tourism have much in common and their activities are growing increasingly
closer and becoming dependent on one another. The development of national and
international sport was stimulated by new technologies. The steam engine – one of the forces
of the industrial revolution – opened the doors for sport to become a national and later an
international activity. Road and sea transportation followed and a new world of sport emerged
at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. That was the time when W.P.
Brooks and Coubertin had the vision to organise the first world-wide Olympic Games that
included countries from around the world, and when international football, rugby and cricket
tours took place for the first time.
Modern tourism – like sport -- was also initiated by technological developments. It
was the invention of the jet plane as a passenger carrier after the Second World War that kickstarted international tourism. International tourism developed quickly and became a
characteristic of the 20th century. The growth of tourism was spectacular. International
arrivals grew, in real terms, from a mere 25 million in 1950 to over 700 million in 2000. That
represents an annual growth rate of 6.9% per annum over 50 years. And the future for tourism
looks incredibly positive. Notwithstanding the fact that the past three years – 2001 to 2003 –
were the most difficult years ever for the industry, the future looks very bright. Tourism is
bouncing back with renewed strength and international arrivals are expected to double over
the next 14 to 15 years – faster in some destinations than in others.
It was new technologies that popularised sport and tourism and it was the media – first
radio and newspapers, and then followed much later by the TV networks -- that created broad
and lively public interest in these activities. The media has turned sport stars into celebrities.
Sport and tourism have become integrated elements of our culture and part of present-day
lifestyles.
There are many similarities and parallels between sport and tourism. This symbiotic
relationship was the motivation for the World Tourism Organization and the International
Olympic Committee to sign a Cooperation Agreement. Both sport and tourism can benefit
from closer cooperation. The aim of the Agreement is to promote a better understanding of
the two activities and the links between them and to strengthen cooperation. The first World
Conference on Sport and Tourism was organised by the two organisations in Barcelona at the
beginning of 2001. Several regional conferences in different cities of the world followed in
the subsequent years.
Many people believe they understand sport and tourism. However, both constitute
complex networks of activities with complicated value chains and many different role players.
The two sectors are subjected to changing trends – often caused by the use of new
technologies or changes in consumer behaviour. Both are often affected by political
developments and neither can survive in a climate of instability and conflict or where security
issues become problematic. Both activities have major economic impacts, with tourism
contributing substantially to the GDP of both developed and developing countries.
Tourism has become one of the biggest economic activities of our time. It is the
leading export industry (larger than petrochemicals, or automotives); it is one of the biggest
employers in the world, employing more young people and women than any other industry; it
consists of more small and micro businesses than any other sector; it is a leading servicesector economic driver, and so on. The income generated by international tourism in 2002
was 474.2 billion US$
Major international sporting events such as the Olympic Games, football and rugby
world cups, Wimbledon, the Tour de France, and so on, are exciting spectator events and
people travel from afar to share in these experiences, creating large tourism flows. Although
sport and tourism have many similarities, they also have different orientations. This becomes
evident when we consider the tourism sport or sport tourism context.
The concept “tourism sport” refers to a tourism activity with sport as the attraction,
while “sport-tourism” refers to sport as the activity and tourism as the result.
From the tourism orientation sport is an attraction – not the only one -- that draws
visitors form different destinations to attend championship events and share in the excitement
it generates. In tourism a distinction can be drawn between spectator sport and leisure sport.
One strong characteristic of the profile of the new generation of tourists is their wish to be
actively involved in their visit – they want to do something, be active. They want to learn
about local customs and culture, experience local cuisine, listen to local music, see local art
and so on.
A large percentage prefers to be physically active – walking, cycling, playing tennis or
participating in other leisure sports. The holiday must often compensate for the lack of
exercise in their busy programmes at home. Leisure sport has become a major component of
tourism demand. According to a WTO survey, the demand for sports-oriented trips in
Germany, the world’s biggest generating market in proportion to its population, represents
55% of all travel. In the case of the Dutch it is 52% of all travel, and in the case of the French
it drops to 23%.
The orientation of sport-tourism is different. The athletes or players are dedicated to
performance – that is the highest priority. They have been trained to compete and their aim is
to do as well as physically possible, with winning as an ultimate goal. They compete for their
countries, their clubs, their sponsors, for recognition and applause, but also for the financial
rewards that are huge in some sports. The tourism component – the spectators that fill the
stadiums – are important for the atmosphere and publicity, but for the coach and players they
are often more of a nuisance than a value.
2
Major sporting events will necessarily be major tourism events and should be planned
and designed accordingly.
The achievement of the World Conference on Sport and Tourism was its ability to
make it clear that these two separate worlds have a great deal in common and that closer
cooperation can develop more synergies that would benefit both sectors as well as host
countries and communities.
I have been asked to speak about the development of tourism linked to sports events.
The first and most important step is to develop the closest possible cooperation between
sporting bodies and tourism authorities, particularly where major sports events are in the
making. Traditionally there has been little or no contact between the two sectors, regardless of
the many obvious links. They exist and function as totally separate entities.
In preparing for a major sports event it is essential that close cooperation should be
established between the sport and tourism sectors. This should start in the planning stages so
that the needs of both sectors can be identified and accommodated in the planning of the
infrastructure and facilities, as well as accommodation and entertainment. The planning and
designing should take full account of the post-event utilisation of the facilities – that is, the
long-term needs of sporting bodies, the community, organisations of civil society – as well as
the needs of the tourism industry.
A major sport event is normally of a short duration – the Olympics lasted 17 days. The
tourism impact is not to be measured in the number of visitors that attended the event itself –
far from it. The visitor numbers during the duration of the Games is but a small part of the
real tourism impact. The most important tourism value is the way in which these events can
be utilised to position and market the country as a tourist destination. From the moment the
host country wins the bid to host the event, international attention will be on them. From that
moment, a well-planned media and publicity campaign -- jointly designed by the sports and
tourism authorities -- should run up to the event and continue after the event.
Major international sporting events provide countries with an opportunity to shine in
the media spotlight. The Olympics has given Greece almost 40 billion (40 thousand million)
viewer-hours on television. That is more marketing than you can do in 15 years. The Games
with their triumphant success have substantially increased the profile of Greece as a tourism
destination.
The post-Olympic success of Australia is proof of how the Games can boost the
tourism industry to levels never experienced before. New standards of service quality,
infrastructure and organisational ability have been established. That is good for tourism. After
the Sydney Games, the Australian Tourism Commission (ATC) launched a survey in 15 main
source countries. One question in the survey was: “After Australia hosted the Olympic
Games, are you more likely to consider going to Australia for a holiday sometime in the next
four years?” The answers were overwhelmingly positive, with affirmative response rates as
high as 56%, and averaging 30%. I am convinced that similar positive feedback will be
obtained if Greece conducts a similar survey after the success of the past Games.
The question then is how to develop tourism on the back of the Olympic Games.
I would like to suggest 3 important guidelines for tourism authorities.
1. The Olympic Games, for most countries, come around only once in a lifetime.
Greece may have to wait another 100 years. Therefore this opportunity must be
grabbed with both hands. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – make the best of
3
it. It is now the time to harvest, not to rest. The Games are over, and the tourism
benefit must now be collected. That will require good planning, marketing and
hard work.
2. The first thing is not to think that the promotion has now been done, that the
benefits are guaranteed, and that the visitors will come automatically. No, that will
not happen. The Games was and will continue to be a major part of your tourism
marketing strength over the next five years – but only a diminishing part. The
tourism authorities will now have to build on that foundation with more specific
and focused marketing campaigns. Keep knocking on the doors of source
countries. Keep reminding potential customers what a great country and tourism
destination you have. Tourism is like any other business – if you stop investing in
marketing, the returns decline. The Games gave Greece a great start – the
momentum must be kept up by keeping the Games and Greece in the minds of
people. The Olympic Games -- or any other major event -- are a bonus and not a
substitute for the normal tourism business. I am therefore delighted to see that the
Greek National Tourism Organisation will be this year’s Brand Partner at the
World Travel Market in London in November.
3. Continue to work closely with the sport administrations in your country. There
remain many areas where closer cooperation and partnership can benefit both
sectors. Excellent sporting facilities and infrastructure have been created in
Athens. The old stadium where the first modern Olympics took place has been
given a facelift, but the history and sentiment remain. The facilities can also be
utilised as tourist attractions and for their leisure activities. Make the optimum use
of the inheritance from the Games.
Greece has been a leading tourism destination in its own right long before modern
modes of transport and electronic communications changed the format of tourism. It is a
destination with great product diversity and unique attractions. Sport and the Olympics have
made a very significant contribution to strengthening the tourism industry in tangible and
intangible ways. The tangible contribution was the massive publicity and promotion that the
industry got for free, the large number of visitors that attended the Games, and the positive
messages that were sent out about the beauty and pleasures of Greece. The intangible
contribution was the promotion of the brand, the new upbeat profile of Greece as a great
destination, the image of efficiency and hospitality, and a new confidence and national pride
amongst the people.
The Olympics was good for Greece and its people – it has given the tourism industry a
flying start to the 21st century.
I wish you every success and trust that you will keep on flying – flying high!
*******
4