The Olympic Games of Athens 2004

10 years after their staging

Research questions
Were the Olympic Games of Athens a good
investment for the city and the country?
Did the Olympic Games of Athens create a
sustainable legacy in the city?

The definition of
sports events legacy

Working definition: The legacy of a mega sporting

event is all that remains and maybe considered as
consequences of the event in its environment. (J.L. Chappelet, 2013)

The various types of legacy

(Chappelet,2003, 2014)

Tourism and Economy

Infrastructure
Sport facilities
Urban and natural environment
Socio-cultural

Panathenaic
Stadium
2010
1896

Ten years after the Olympics, you believe that the 2004 Athens Olympics:
General Population

Had a positive impact

47.7

Had a negative impact

39.6

Had no impact

11.5

D.K./D.A.

1.2

20

40

60

80

100

Do you know the cost of organizing the 2004 Olympic Games?

80

61.7
60

40

17.1

20

8.5

3.4

9.3

Yes

Rather Yes Rather No

No

D.K./D.A.

Would you characterize the cost of organizing the 2004 Olympic Games too
expensive?
100

80

76.8

60

40

13.3

20

1.9

2.7

5.3

No

D.K./D.A.

Yes
Among those who stated
that they know the cost
(25,6% of TOTAL):

Rather Yes
100

Rather No

87.1

80
60
40

9.1

20

1.8

2.0

Rather No

No

Yes

Rather Yes

0.0
D.K./D.A.

How much do you think it was the cost of organizing the 2004 Olympic Games?

38.9

Over 20 bill.

18.6

15-20 bill.

14.0

10-15 bill.

7.2

5-10 bill.

21.3

D.K./D.A.
0

Among those who stated

that they know the cost
(25,6% of TOTAL):

10

20

30

40

50

48.2

Over 20 bill.

19.2

15-20 bill.

12.0

10-15 bill.
5-10 bill.

10.5

D.K./D.A.

10.1
0

10

20

30

40

50

60

60

How much did the 2004 Olympic Games contribute to:

General Population

Development of infrastructure (roads, airports, ports, metro)

72.8

26.70.5

Reinforce the National self confidence and the pride of Greeks

69.9

29.50.6

Development of volunteers movement in Greece

68.4

28.53.1

Qualitative upgrade of hotels' infrastructure

66.2

29.04.8

Increase awareness in disability issues

66.0

32.21.8

Upgrade of telecommunication and technical infrastructure

65.3

27.96.8

Upgrade of public transportation

65.1

33.21.7

61.3

37.2 1.5

Increase in tourism
Upgrade of the archaeological sites

57.2

38.6

4.2

Development of Public Sports in Greece

55.0

40.9

4.1

Qualitative upgrade of the touristic product

53.8

43.1

3.1

D.K./D.A.

20

40

60

80

Fairly & Not at all

100

How much did the 2004 Olympic Games contribute to:

General Population
Increase security in the Country

46.7

51.8

1.5

Development of sports infrastructure in Greece

46.3

52.6

1.1

Increase of Greek sports

41.7

Increase employment and creation of new jobs

57.7

38.0

Qualitative upgrade of health units

60.8

34.2

Increase awareness in environmental issues

26.6

Reduce air pollution in Athens

26.2
0

1.2

56.4

29.2

Increase economic activity in Greece

0.6

9.4

65.4

5.4

72.0

1.4

58.4
20

40
D.K./D.A.

Fairly & Not at all

15.4
60

80
Very & Somewhat

100

Ten years after the Olympics, you believe that the 2004 Athens
Olympics:
16-25

Had a positive impact

46.2

Had a negative impact

39.5

Had no impact

12.9

D.K./D.A.

1.4

20

40

60

80

Secondary research
ichaleli D.-I., The touristic and economic impact of the Athens
2004 Olympic Games on Greece (thesis) [in greek], Sparta 2007
Rizos I. A., Consequences of the Olympic Games organization
in Barcelona and Athens (thesis) [in greek], Sparta 2009
Xintaropoulou, V., The impacts of the Athens Olympic Games to
the regional development: The case of Argolida prefecture
(thesis) [in greek], Sparta 2010
Sourdakou, Th., Olympic Athens and Athens of Crisis. Post-Olympic
Utilisation (thesis) [in greek], Sparta 2013

Budgets

Costs / Benefits

The budget of the

Government
The budget of the City
The budget of the
Organizing Committee

Success of the Games

Investments
City Infrastructures

The effects of the Olympic Games

37 New Sports Premises:

IBC

The International Broadcasting Centre

The Athens Olympic Sports Complex

MPC
2 logistic centers
OV

The Media Sport Centre

Port and Airport

7 media villages
Athens Olympic Sports
Complex

The Eleftherios Venizelos Airport

The Olympic Village

Athens Olympic Sports Complex

The most complex of all works was the

roofing of the existing stadium
It was a fast track project with design
and construction running in parallel.
The total weight of the metal structure
is 18.800 tons. Two and a half times the
weight of the Eiffel tower

Comparison of the total and actual

post-Olympic use of the venues

16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

total use
actual use

Olympic Transportation: Road works

Metropolitan Traffic
Management Center

AOSC connection to OL. VILLAGE (KIMIS AV.)

Classic Marathon Route,
Schinias connection
(MARATHONOS AV.)
Athens Peripheral Expressway
(ATTIKI ODOS)

OLYMPIC
RING

Athens
City
Center
New Athens Airport
Piraeus Port Connection
(TROCHIODROMON AV.)

Coastal Avenue
(POSSIDONOS AV.)
Airport South Connection
(VARIS AV.)

Metro network
- 450,000 passengers per day increased by 55,000
during the Games
- 24 km initially
-Traffic decrease (250,000 per day )
-Decrease of air-pollution, noise, fuel consumption
and traffic.

Tram network
- 80,000 passengers per day
- 25 km delivered for the OG

Suburban Railway
- 120,000 passengers per day
- 30 km delivered for the OG
- Connection with the airport

Mega Sports Events and Environment. The Athens Olympic

Games
Dr Christina Theochari
Technical Chamber of Greece. Athens, May 7-8, 2009.

Faliro Coastal Zone

Volleyball
Stadium

At the old times..

Olympic Beach
Volleyball Centre

Olympic Sports
Centre

Faliro Coastal Zone

Before and After...

June 2002

May 2002

2004

 Upgrade of pumping-stations along

the coastal front
Flood controls at Kifissos

The 2nd grade treatment at the Centre of Sewage Treatment in Psitalleia

was completed during the preparation of the OG.
Dr Christina Theohari

Turtles in Faliro Bay

Faliro Bay

Kifissos River

Schinias Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Centre

January 2003

- Olympic Education Programs in conjunction with

the Environmental Education of the Ministry of
Education.
- 170.000 students were educated in environmental
issues.

- Checking

the quality of
water at the Olympic
facilities (Schinias,
Faliro,
Ag. Kosmas,
Vouliagmeni)

Dr Christina Theochari

The new national library

and the new opera in Faliro

Archaeological sites in
the centre of Athens

Archaeological sites in
the centre of Athens

Dionissiou Areopagitou
str.

Acropolis
Herodeion

Removal of Billboards

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

AFTER

The Olympic Village

Abandoned venues
Beach Volley Venue

Olympic Village

Olympic Village

Canoe Kayak Venue

The cost of the Games

The Cost of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games

Budget of the Organizing
Committee

1,962

Budget of the State

6,676

Total

8,638

Broadcasting rights

Economical Analysis (2000-2008)

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (in billions)

2000

136.281

2008

245.449
Debt

2000

138.758

2008

362

Greeces Tourist Progress

Arrival of foreign tourists

1983
1984
1985
1991
1998
1999

6.613.122
7.480.056
8.612.008
8.271.258
11.363.822
12.605.928

Greeces Tourist Progress

From 2001 - 2006

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

Overnight
stays
(thousands)

55.105

53.478

53.476

51.590

54.017

56.747

Greeks

13.290

13.128

13.716

13.280

13.942

14.249

Foreigners

41.815

40.350

39.760

38.310

40.075

42.498

Rooms

320.159

319.689

339.540

351.891

358.721

364.179

Beds

607.614

606.330

644.898

668.271

682.050

693.252

Accommodation

Greeces Tourist Progress

50
44

45

41

39

40

Number of Overnight Stays

for Greeks and Foreigners
for 1996-2003 (in millions)

46
41

34

35

34

33

30

Greeks
Foreigners

25
20
15

14

14

15

15

1997

1998

1999

2000

11

13

13

13

2001

2002

2003

10
5
0
1996

Ranking of Greek Tourism according to International Arrivals 2000-2013

Year

International arrivals
* (mil.)

Ranking order World Ranking

Ranking order Europe

Rank in
2000
12,4
12
8
2001
13,0
12
8
2002
12,6
15
10
2003
12,5
14
9
2004
11,7
18
12
2005
14,4
17
11
2006
15,2
17
11
2007
16,2
16
10
2008
15,9
16
10
2009
14,9
16
10
2010
15,0
17
10
2011
16,4
17
10
2012
15,5
17
10
2013
17,9
16
9
Source: SETE, based on data provided by the Hellenic Statistical Authority and the
UNWTO (World Tourism Barometer, June 2014)

Greeces Tourist Progress

IOA

IOA

HISTORIC ARCHIVE ATHENS

2004

The prefecture of Argolida

Nemea
Nafplion

Epidaurus

Mykines

Tiryns

The prefecture of Argolida

146

145

144

143

142

141

The progress of the

number of
Accommodation units in
Argolida (2003-2009)

140
138
138

137
136

136

136
134
132
130
2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

MASTERS DEGREE PROGRAMME

OLYMPIC STUDIES, OLYMPIC
EDUCATION, ORGANIZATION AND
MANAGEMENT OF OLYMPIC
EVENTS
2009 - 2011

3 semesters
30 credits per semester
8 compulsory modules
2 optional modules
Lectures conducted in
English
Number of students: 30

2009

2007
2007

Education and Art

Olympic Park

THANK YOU!