Paris and Los Angeles to Host 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games
Update 7/31/17: Los Angeles will play host to the 2028 Summer Olympics Games, marking the return to the United States for the first time since Atlanta hosted the Games back in 1996, the IOC announced Monday. This will be the third time Los Angeles is hosting the Olympic Games; the city was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics.
As part of the host agreement, the IOC is giving the LA organizing committee a $1.8 billion advance "in view of the longer planning period [compared to Paris 2024] and to increase participation and access to youth sports programs in the City of Los Angeles in the years leading up to the Games," the IOC said in a statement.
The deal is slated to be approved by the International Olympic Committee on September 13 in Lima, Peru and tonight, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti is expected to make an official statement at a press conference at 8pm EST.
Paris and Los Angeles were just given the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) blessing to host the 2024 and 2028 Summer Olympics after a vote Tuesday awarded two games at once for the first time in history.
The final decision on which city will be hosting which year should come in September, as long as the two are able to reach a deal beforehand. Both had been vying for the 2024 games originally but under the IOC's decision, one of them must agree to host the 2028 games instead. If a deal can't be reached, the IOC will only announce the 2024 host city at the upcoming meeting this fall.
According to an article by The Los Angeles Times, Paris seems to be on track for the 2024 games. The City of Light last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1924 and officials have been lobbying hard for it to host again on that game's centennial anniversary. Los Angeles, on the other hand, could be in a stronger position to ask for IOC concessions if it agrees to take the later games, NPR reports. The City of Angels has hosted the Summer Olympics before, in 1984 and 1932.
Finding willing Olympic host cities is no simple task — the games are notoriously expensive as cities build out infrastructure to handle swarms of international visitors. In the meantime, officials representing Los Angeles and Paris have each argued their cities are already primed for the occasion, meaning a potentially less costly games. In either case, though, we can imagine the traffic is going to be delightful.
No matter where the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games are held, it's safe to expect a tourism bonanza like no other. Flights and hotels will be in high demand so start saving those points and miles now.
H/T: NPR