Milan-Cortina between legacy, sports infrastructure and impact on tourism

With less than 100 days to go before the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, the organisational and hospitality machinery is running at full speed. And it could not be otherwise in view of the flow of athletes and tourists expected in Italy for the event (and the preparation appointments in the coming weeks), especially those who have purchased hospitality packages managed by On Location and who will experience the Olympics as an opportunity to visit the most iconic destinations in the Alpine arc and the cities of art close to the competitions. About 850,000 coupons have already been sold out of the 1.5 million available. The Milan-Cortina Olympics will record a 160% increase in air travellers compared to the same period in 2025, with peaks of 190% for Malpensa and even 450% for Linate, as emerged from the Visa Travel Intention Study, presented last week at the Allianz tower in Milan. According to the analysis, which takes into account the purchase of airline tickets through the Visa network, the largest number of visitors will come from the USA, UK and Canada. Milan Malpensa, for example, will have to accommodate around 340 thousand passengers in the 60 days preceding, accompanying and following the event, 150 thousand in the week before alone, while during the event it will have to handle 4 thousand oversized bags, as was indicated in a recent meeting between the Milan Cortina Foundation and SEA, Società Esercizi Aeroportuali. "These are figures that correspond to those of ticket purchases," emphasised Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Milano Cortina Foundation, "whose podium for now is Italy, the United States and Germany. That 80% of the population is in favour of the Games fills us with pride. There is great interest and we can see it. There were 132,000 applications to be part of the volunteer programme, that's a signal. And it is a connection between generations, because young people are also involved: more than 50 per cent of the tickets were bought by people under 40. Of the 20,000 volunteers, many are young, and being a volunteer at the Olympics is seen as an opportunity for growth, including employment'. In the meantime, as far as the competition venues are concerned, the sports facilities built by Simico (Società Infrastrutture Milano Cortina) are basically all ready, from the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge track, to the Ice Stadium and the Village in Cortina that will host the curling and the closing ceremony of the Paralympics is ready, from the ski jumps in Predazzo and Tesero, to the biathlon stadium in Anterselva, from the snow park in Livigno to the track in Bormio. In Milan, in addition to the Olympic Village, the PalaItalia built by Cts Eventim is also nearing completion (the extra costs will be covered by public funds), although the issue of ancillary works and the road network remains. This and more, such as the income statement and the legacy of the Games, will be discussed by CEO Varnier during the celebration of 160 years of the Sole 24 ore newspaper. Appointment in the Talent House Sala Arena at 12.30 p.m. © RESERVED REPRODUCTION