Switzerland, one of the world’s wealthiest countries, is attempting to keep Olympic expenditures as low as possible.
The Swiss Olympic Association said on Friday that the country would bid for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Games. To gain the votes of local sports federations, officials committed to keep the games’ budget at 1.5 billion Swiss francs, or $1.8 billion — the revenue expected from the event.
According to Bloomberg, if Switzerland sticks to the budget, it will be the cheapest Winter Olympics ever – after correcting for inflation.
Fewer and fewer countries are interested in hosting the games. The Olympics require a tremendous expenditure, yet the host population frequently reaps limited financial benefits from the event.
According to Bloomberg, Swiss residents have already rejected at least three previous bids for the Winter Olympics in recent years.
Despite the fact that the International Olympic Committee is headquartered in Switzerland, the country has never hosted the Summer Games. The country has twice hosted the Winter Games, in 1928 and 1948.
The previous Winter Olympics in Beijing cost an official $3.9 billion, far beyond the intended $1.6 billion budget. However, an Insider investigation revealed that the overall amount spent may exceed $38.5 billion.
The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, cost approximately $15 billion.
Because Switzerland is already a winter sports mecca, Swiss officials stated that they intend to keep costs low by reusing or refurbishing existing venues. They also stated that existing accommodations would be used rather than constructing an entirely new games town.
“Switzerland is lucky to already practically have all the necessary infrastructure, ranging from sporting venues to its transport network and accommodation,” Urs Lehmann, the president of the Swiss Ski Association, said last month, per Reuters. “Let’s seize this opportunity.”