Now that Vancouver has the 2010 Olympics where do we go from here ?
Who will keep an independent eye on the activities of the organising committees, sponsors, environment, contracted workers and many other aspects of the games ?
Poll shows optimism about Olympic gold
A majority expect Olympic benefits to extend beyond the host communities of Vancouver and Whistler
Michael Kane
Vancouver Sun
Wednesday, August 27, 2003
British Columbians are optimistic about the economic impact of the 2010 Olympic Games, particularly on the province's retail and tourism sectors, polling shows.
And a majority expect the Olympic gold to extend beyond the host communities of Vancouver and Whistler.
Eight out of 10 residents expect a positive impact on tourism spending in their own region of the province and seven out of 10 anticipate stronger retail sales in their own region, according to findings released Tuesday.
Ipsos-Reid and Retail BC polled 800 adults between Aug. 5 and Aug. 12 with results considered accurate within 3.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
"The results of the survey are better than expected, particularly from the Interior where there is very, very strong support for the event, even though I have heard some comments from retailers that all of the benefits will accrue to the Lower Mainland and Whistler," said Retail BC president and CEO Mark Startup.
"We're excited. The survey provides retailers in all communities the impetus to get organized to do something within their communities to support the event."
The poll shows that 71 per cent of residents across the province expect that winning and hosting the Games will have a positive impact on the over-all provincial economy, with 81 per cent expecting stronger retail sales and 88 per cent predicting stronger tourism spending.
"It's not just provincial pride or the Olympic spirit that drove British Columbians to support the Games bid," said Mary de Bonis, a vice-president in the Vancouver office of Ipsos-Reid. "What's clear from these numbers is that most people also think the Games make sound economic sense."
Of those polled, 25 per cent expect the Games to have a negative impact on the provincial economy, while three per cent expect the Games to have no impact and one per cent are undecided.
Groups who are most positive about the impact of the Games include:
- Higher income residents -- 78 per cent of those earning $60,000-plus versus 66 per cent of those earning less.
- Men -- 75 per cent versus 68 per cent of women.
- Younger residents -- 73 per cent of those aged 18 to 54 versus 66 per cent of those aged 55-plus.
Residents of the Interior and the North are generally positive (62 per cent) but a little less so than their counterparts in the Lower Mainland (76 per cent) and Vancouver Island (71 per cent).
Only one in 10 forecast that the Games will have a negative impact on tourism, with two per cent expecting no impact and one per cent undecided.
Lower Mainland residents are the most optimistic about the impact on retail sales -- 83 per cent are positive, compared to 10 per cent who expect a negative impact.
Vancouver Island residents are also upbeat -- 73 per cent positive versus 15 per cent negative -- while 49 per cent of residents of the North and Interior expect a retail boost and 31 per cent don't.
Optimism about tourism spending is also strongest in the Lower Mainland, with 89 per cent positive versus seven per cent negative. Vancouver Island residents are the next most optimistic at 76 per cent, compared to 15 per cent negative, with residents of the Interior and the North 58 per cent positive and 26 per cent negative.
