Tokyo, Madrid, and Istanbul – which city would be the best 2020 Olympics host?

The Olympic Games inspire people everywhere, and have major implications for the host city. For example, the 2012 London Olympics saw698,000 Olympic/Paralympic-related visits with an average spend of £1,553.

Ourown research in partnership with ForwardKeys.com revealed an early appetite for the 2102 London Olympic Games, with booked travel to London being 31% higher than in 2011. Travel industry players in one of these lucky cities will likely be presented withdata to understand who is visiting and from where , thus helping them fully maximise the opportunities presented by such a volume of inbound tourists.

We wanted to gain some insight into just how well equipped each of these three finalist cities are to host the Olympics – so we reached out to the General Managers of Amadeus Spain, Turkey, and Japan to see what they had to say.

Paul de Villiers, General Manager atAmadeus España said that Madrid has obtained the highest scores for sports centres, infrastructure, environment and has experience with sporting events, and citizen support, while Nil Canal, General Manager,Amadeus Türkiye cited Istanbul as an already popular destination and that the Turkish economy is well-placed to deliver the capital investment needed for financing Olympic venues. Finally, Miho Ohtake, General Manager,Amadeus Japan acknowledged Tokyo as a world-leading city where traditional culture and next-generation technology come together.

Have a look below to see what else they had to say about each of their respective cities.

Paul de Villiers, General Manager, Amadeus España

What would hosting the Olympics bring to your city?

Apart from adding 3.5 billion Euros to GDP, the latest reports estimate there would be around 75,000 new jobs created.

Does Madrid have the transport/tourism infrastructure to cope with the Olympics?

Spain has high speed rail and airport infrastructure that are among the best in the world with the Madrid Underground being one of the most extensive and modern of any European capital city.

What could visitors expect from travelling around your country?

From January to July this year we welcomed 34 million tourists and we rank 4th in the world in terms of inbound tourism which shows we are perfectly capable of receiving large volumes of visitors.

What technology do you think will make the travel experience simpler and richer for visitors to your country?

The high internet penetration rate in Spain means travel companies and public institutions are ready to offer online services to help tourists gather information and make reservations.

What would be your guess for the 2024 Olympics city?

It is difficult to guess, but, as I was born in Johannesburg…my heart is hoping for Durban.

Nil Canal, General Manager, Amadeus Türkiye

What would hosting the Olympics bring to your city?

The games will harness and direct the huge appetite for development and innovation in İstanbul.

Does your city have the transport/tourism infrastructure to cope with the Olympics?

Significant investments across the city – including an annual average of $1.2 billion spent on transport infrastructure and many billions more have been spent on general infrastructure since 2004.

What could visitors expect from travelling around your country?

Visitors will discover masterpieces of art from ancient times and they will be afforded an historic opportunity to engage with an ancient country founded on a welcoming, hospitable culture.

What technology do you think will make the travel experience simpler and richer for visitors to your country?

GPS-Navigation technology and the internet will help visitors access information easier and new technology like Google Glass can also make the travel experience richer.

What would be your guess for the 2024 Olympics city?

I guess the remaining two countries from this year will be the biggest candidates for 2024.

Miho Ohtake, General Manager, Amadeus Japan

What would hosting the Olympics bring to your City?

Needless to say, hosting the Olympics will drastically revitalize the current sluggish economy in Japan.

Does your City have the transport/tourism infrastructure to cope with the Olympics?

Public transportation is highly developed with big networks especially in metropolitan Tokyo, and their services are amazingly punctual. On trains, you’ll hear an apology announcement for even a one-minute delay.

What could visitors expect from travelling around your country?

Being well organised, clean and safe is one of the biggest advantages of Japan. It’s so secure that even women feel comfortable walking alone 24/7.

What technology do you think will make the travel experience simpler and richer for visitors to your country?

Thanks to the highly developed communication networks, in Japan you can make the best use of your own smartphone as your reliable guide. For instance, “train transfer guide” application tells you detailed information in real time.

What would be your guess for the 2024 Olympics city?

I’m happy with any city as long as they have good sportmanship and an Amadeus presence!

With71 local Amadeus Commercial Organisations covering frontline activities in 195 countries, it's fairly safe to say that there will always be an Amadeus team that's proud to live in an Olympic host country.

So, which city is your pick?