Author(s): ZAWADZKI, K., Institution: GDANSK UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, Country: POLAND, Abstract-ID: 207

Introduction.
The impact of the Olympic Games on tourism development in host countries remains inconclusive in the academic literature. While the Games are often expected to stimulate international tourist arrivals and visitor expenditure through global media exposure and destination promotion, empirical findings indicate that positive effects are neither automatic nor uniform. The aim of this study is to assess the long-term impact of hosting the Summer and Winter Olympic Games held between 1996 and 2024 on two key indicators of tourism performance: international tourist inflows and tourism-related expenditure.

Material and methods.
An ex-post comparative analysis was conducted for all host countries of the Olympic Games in the period 1996–2024, covering both Summer and Winter editions. For each event, a 15-year event window was applied, including the preparatory phase (t−7 to t−1), the event year (t), and the post-event phase (t+1 to t+7). The analysis focused on international tourists staying at least one night, excluding same-day visitors due to their relatively low economic impact. Data on tourist arrivals and expenditure were derived from United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) databases and harmonized to constant prices to ensure comparability over time. The relationship between Olympic hosting and tourism indicators across event phases was examined using multivariate regression models with binary variables representing the different stages of the Olympic cycle.

Results.
The findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in tourism responses to hosting the Olympic Games. In several cases, tourist inflows during the event year were lower than in the preceding year, suggesting the presence of crowding-out effects, whereby regular tourists avoid destinations during major events due to congestion, price increases, and security concerns. In the preparatory phase, statistically significant declines in tourist numbers or expenditure were observed in some host countries, likely linked to construction-related disruptions and changes in destination image. Although tourist expenditure generally followed a long-term upward global trend, the highest growth rates often occurred outside the Olympic year itself. Post-event effects were inconsistent: some hosts experienced sustained growth, while others saw stagnation or decline, indicating that positive legacy outcomes are not guaranteed.

Conclusions.
Hosting the Olympic Games does not systematically lead to sustained increases in international tourism or visitor spending. Observed positive trends largely reflect broader global developments in travel demand rather than event-specific effects. Given the ambiguity of measurable tourism benefits, justifying large public investments in Olympic hosting solely on the basis of tourism growth is problematic. Therefore, evaluations of Olympic impacts should place greater emphasis on intangible and structural legacies, such as urban regeneration,