PYEONGCHANG 2018
MAIN MOTIVATION
PyeongChang is the birthplace of skiing in Korea, as well as a key winter sports area in Northeast Asia. The city attracts 150,000 tourists from around the world and 3.6 million Korean skiers every year. After its successful hosting of the 1999 Gangwon Asian Winter Games, PyeongChang set its sights on bringing the Olympic Winter Games to the region. PyeongChang has retained the support of all level of Governments and the Korean people from its two previous bids until now, with more than 90% of Koreans supporting the 2018 bid. PyeongChang’s bid for the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games is motivated by the desire to:
EXPAND THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT AND CREATE NEW OLYMPIC LEGACIES
Korea was honoured to host the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games as the second nation in Asia ever to do so. Seoul 1988 allowed Korea to experience the powerful impact of the Olympic Movement, which brings the world together regardless of race, creed or ideology.
PyeongChang will offer the Olympic Family a unique Winter Games experience in 2018, in an area of the world relatively new to winter sports.
The new possibilities that abound in PyeongChang will sprout amazing Olympic legacies in winter sport, proud reminders of the positive impact of the Winter Games on the region.
DEVELOP WINTER SPORTS IN ASIA
One billion people live within a two-hour flight from PyeongChang, and three billion live within five hours. The winter sports market in Asia is young and rapidly growing, while in more traditional winter sports nations the marketplace has reached maturity and saturation.
The emerging Asian economy has increased the number of winter sports tourists from China, Japan, Chinese Taipei and Southeast Asian countries who visit PyeongChang by more than 5% annually, and skiers from Korea by 10%. The Winter Games would boost interest in winter sports even more, especially among youth, of which Asia has the largest population. Indeed, PyeongChang is eager to tap into this new, young market and help winter sport realise its full potential in the Asian region.
SHARE OUR PASSION FOR WINTER SPORTS
PyeongChang’s previous bids deepened our knowledge of the Olympic Movement and ignited our passion for developing winter sport in Asia. The Korean people share this desire, unwavering in their support of bringing the Olympic Winter Games to PyeongChang and dedicated in their interest in winter sports. PyeongChang 2018 aspires to share Korea’s passion for winter sports with the world.
BOOST REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
PyeongChang is a year-round tourist destination in Korea, surrounded by breathtaking mountains and beautiful sea. The national and provincial governments aspire to develop the area into a Sports and Tourism Belt equipped with recreational sports facilities, resorts, residential buildings and industries.
PYEONGCHANG’S VISION
Offering the Olympic Movement and the world of winter sports New Horizons—a legacy of new growth and new potential never seen before–this is PyeongChang’s vision for the 2018 Winter Games.
Asia has virtually unlimited potential for growth in winter sports: it possesses the youngest and fastest growing winter sports market in the world, and has the largest aggregate youth population out of all regions. PyeongChang enables access to this vast, new market, and precious opportunities to connect Olympic winter sports with millions of young hearts and minds.
Our Winter Games plan—one of the most compact in the history of the Olympics—and ideal climatic and geographical conditions, offer a unique stage on which the world’s best athletes can achieve superior performances.
The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will expose new generations of potential athletes to the power of winter sport.
PyeongChang 2018 Venues Map