Originally Posted by
Shantanu
This isn't trying to instigate an argument....just a quest for your opinion.....
Can one really compare the universal appeal of the Summer Games to the Winter Games; I personally am more involved in the winter games....but I would suggest that they have less of an appeal and television audience......especially in Asia and Africa......
And really, is it at all possible to compare Vancouver to London? I would not have thought so. July/August, London is teaming with people-it is the busiest time of the year for the capital. Not just visitors from overseas, but also people from all around Britain as it is during the school holidays. 130 million tourism day trips were taken in London last year! I can't imagine anyone being able to find a cheap flight to London close to the games.....
.......but I would be absolutely delighted to be wrong!....as has been the case with the World Cup in South Africa this year (according to a news report I just saw).
I agree it's hard to draw any parallels here - Beijing was a hard to reach destination in 2008, so is South Africa now for FIFA cup; Vancouver event was probably an order of magnitude smaller. London on the other hand is easy to reach and can draw lots of people.
In my personal experience, ICH properties are the most likely to release some inventory as awards right before or during the games - I saw this in Vancouver and Beijing. If attending the games is not a "must" for you but rather "would be nice to make a trip if the price is right" I'd try to book cancelable award flights in advance and gamble on hotel availability at the last moment.
YMMV of course.