Paris officially launched its bid for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games. If they win the bid, the French capital will bring the popular International competitions back to France since 1924. Paris had earlier made several unsuccessful attempts in the past. In 2012, it narrowly lost to London. It also lost in 1992 and 2008.
According to bid Chairman, Bernard Lapasset, the French bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games will excite, enthuse and unite the people of France and the entire world. Meanwhile, the president of the French Olympic Committee, Denis Masseglia, stated that the Games would definitely be a reflection of dynamic and diverse social, cultural, environmental and sporting traditions of the French people. The International Olympic Committee however did not announce the other host cities. They will make the announcement probably in 2017.
Boston is one of the cities that are competing with Paris to host the future Olympic Games. The United States has shown lots of interest to host the Games despite the fact that it hosted the games in 1996. Other cities that have announced their bids to host the 2024 Summer Games includes Hamburg and Rome.
Budapest has also said that it will make a major announcement concerning their interest to host the Olympic Games this summer. However, the Hungarian Federal Government is still discussing the possibility.
The French capital has until September 2015 to officially submit its bid to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The committee will then choose the winner in 15th September 2017. Boston is confident that it will host the games but some analysts think that the chances of it being selected are very small.
Lapasset confirmed that 60-80% of potential venues already have been constructed. He added that the games would center on Stade de France cycling track, Roland Garros tennis stadium and several other Paris landmarks.
Visa card is still the only card being accepted at the Olympics
A popular designer Roee Adler did not hide his frustration when he lashed out at Olympic officials for insisting on paying with Visa. Olympic Games fans who want to purchase tickets for the upcoming Olympics will only be able to do that via the Visa payment system.
The idea of using Visa as the only payment system in the global games event does not sit too well with many people. However, Olympic officials said that the restrictions is due to the sponsorship deal signed between the Olympic Games and Visa.
That is the reason why other payment systems such as PayPal, MasterCard, American Express and Bitcoin are not accepted at cash machines or shops at the Olympic venues. Most Olympic fans are also frustrated by the fact that they are barred from purchasing gifts in the Olympic arena in case they do not have a Visa card. This means that if they forget their Visa cards at their hotels, they cannot purchase anything within the venue.
Adler also said that, individuals cannot expect to apply for a new Visa card, and get approved and start making purchases right away. Adler also wrote that Olympics is a multi-billion dollar business and can sponsor itself. Unfortunately, Adler is not the only Olympic fans who is against Visa’s monopoly on credit card transactions at the Olympic Games.
With Boston and Paris taking a major step to launch their bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, more cities are also expected to submit their bids. Even so, France is very confident that it will emerge the winner, IOC President, Thomas Bach said that Paris would make a very strong contender for the 2024 Olympic Games.
