Tourists and Sports Bodies Vote with their Feet: Bavaria is #1 Destination

Munich 2018’s value to the Olympic Movement has been highlighted emphatically this week: the International Ski Federation (FIS) confirmed that the proposed Winter Games venues will stage six Alpine World Cup events next season, just days after the Bavarian tourist board announced record-breaking numbers of visitors.

Munich 2018’s unique strengths are crystallising amidst growing signs of support from within the Olympic family. Of the 88 races on the FIS Alpine World Cup tour, 8 will be staged in Germany. Perhaps most excitingly, the parallel slalom event will be returning to the Olympic Stadium in Munich after its spectacularly successful debut in January this year. The FIS’ show of faith in Bavaria’s mega-event hosting capabilities comes just days after the Bavarian tourist board revealed that the region this year exceeded 11 million winter season visitors for the first time, a 6% increase on the same period last year. There were a record 30 million overnight stays in total with people coming from all over the world to enjoy Bavaria’s unique mix of traditional alpine hospitality and world-class urban tourism infrastructure.

Chair of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee, Katarina Witt, expressed the powerful sense of fresh impetus driving the bid team forward along the final leg of its journey:

‘It is wonderful to receive this seal of approval on our venues’ quality from the FIS and the tourist figures just underline what an internationally attractive region Bavaria is. This past week has highlighted Munich 2018’s exceptional offering to every single Olympic family client group. Whether you’re coming to Bavaria for the sport, or the culture, or the entertainment; whether you’re a sports fan, or an athlete, or an International Federation: Munich 2018 has something very special in store for you.’

Operational excellence and proven experience are hallmarks of major sports events in Germany. The FIS decision follows a winter sports season which has seen three World Championships and 12 World Cups in sports on the Winter Games programme staged in Germany. Furthermore, yesterday’s five-year anniversary of the opening game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany coincided with an international Deloitte study which named the Bundesliga the most profitable league in the world, with commercial revenues alone now approaching a remarkable €800million.

Bernhard Schwank, Munich 2018 CEO, stressed that these simultaneous testimonies to Munich’s host city credentials were no fluke:

‘Sport is such an important factor in making Bavaria a top international tourist destination. This season’s World Championships and World Cups were watched by over one million spectators, with a television audience of over a billion. But being a top international tourist destination also makes Bavaria a hub for world-class sport. We have the infrastructure, the facilities, and most importantly that warmth and hospitality that guarantees full stadia and an incredible atmosphere. That’s the magic we want to bring to the Winter Games celebration in 2018.’

This week’s news has energised the Bid Committee as they put the finishing touches to Saturday’s ‘Stars, the Winter Games and You!’ festival at the Allianz Arena in Munich. With less than one month before the final IOC vote in Durban, Munich 2018 will look to build on this momentum and climax with a powerful presentation to the Olympic family.