Zika Could Financially Cripple the Rio Olympics
The outbreak of the Zika virus has already led some to call for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil to be canceled.
Already, the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have faced challenges from polluted water and security issues. But the mosquito-borne Zika virus epidemic has been labeled by the World Health Organization as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The United States Olympic Committee has warned top athletes who are concerned about their health that they may want to consider skipping the 2016 Olympic Games this August. Leaders of U.S. sports federations were told that athletes should skip the games "if they don't feel comfortable going. Bottom line," according to Donald Anthony, president and board chairman of USA Fencing.
U.S. women's soccer superstar Hope Solo has said she wouldn't go to Rio if the Olympics were today.
Kenya's superstar long-distance runners have said they might consider pulling out if the virus reaches "epidemic levels."
As the health scare continues to grow worse, a boycott by American and other world-class athletes over the Zika virus would be nothing short of crippling for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Here's why.
But the Zika virus strikes at the heart of tourism -- the very heart of what the Olympics encourages. Already, the nation has faced $7 billion in tourism losses due to the outbreak. That figure tops $5 billion in Argentina and $4.8 billion in Colombia for the most-affected nation by the virus.
The nation is hosting the Olympics during August, a month that represents the beginning of the nation's winter, when mosquitoes are typically not common. However, given that the disease can be sexually transmitted and its reputation centers on birth defects, an internationally sensitive issue, the stigma of Zika will likely deter many international travelers from taking part in the summer games.
The Zika outbreak is especially troubling for the Brazilian economy, which needs a boost given the ongoing downturn in commodity prices and corruption problems that continue to plague the nation. Brazil's currency -- the Real -- slumped more than 40% in 2015 against the U.S. dollar, and consumer price inflation jumped 10.7% year-on-year in January of 2016.
If Brazil is going to receive any significant bump in consumer spending, the Zika outbreak will need to abate by May or else the summer Olympics could experience boycotts, cancelations, or -- in the best-worst case -- a delay for months, or a year.
Already, the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro have faced challenges from polluted water and security issues. But the mosquito-borne Zika virus epidemic has been labeled by the World Health Organization as a “public health emergency of international concern.”
The United States Olympic Committee has warned top athletes who are concerned about their health that they may want to consider skipping the 2016 Olympic Games this August. Leaders of U.S. sports federations were told that athletes should skip the games "if they don't feel comfortable going. Bottom line," according to Donald Anthony, president and board chairman of USA Fencing.
U.S. women's soccer superstar Hope Solo has said she wouldn't go to Rio if the Olympics were today.
Kenya's superstar long-distance runners have said they might consider pulling out if the virus reaches "epidemic levels."
As the health scare continues to grow worse, a boycott by American and other world-class athletes over the Zika virus would be nothing short of crippling for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Here's why.
Brazil's Economy Can't Afford an Broader Outbreak
In 2009, Rio de Janeiro beat out then-favorite Chicago for this year's Olympic Summer Games. At the time, many questioned the infrastructure challenges faced by Brazil, the first South American nation to receive the honor of the games. Since then, problems have mounted. Raw sewage has threatened the swimming events. Concerns about security has raised alarms for female athletes.But the Zika virus strikes at the heart of tourism -- the very heart of what the Olympics encourages. Already, the nation has faced $7 billion in tourism losses due to the outbreak. That figure tops $5 billion in Argentina and $4.8 billion in Colombia for the most-affected nation by the virus.
The nation is hosting the Olympics during August, a month that represents the beginning of the nation's winter, when mosquitoes are typically not common. However, given that the disease can be sexually transmitted and its reputation centers on birth defects, an internationally sensitive issue, the stigma of Zika will likely deter many international travelers from taking part in the summer games.
The Zika outbreak is especially troubling for the Brazilian economy, which needs a boost given the ongoing downturn in commodity prices and corruption problems that continue to plague the nation. Brazil's currency -- the Real -- slumped more than 40% in 2015 against the U.S. dollar, and consumer price inflation jumped 10.7% year-on-year in January of 2016.
If Brazil is going to receive any significant bump in consumer spending, the Zika outbreak will need to abate by May or else the summer Olympics could experience boycotts, cancelations, or -- in the best-worst case -- a delay for months, or a year.
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