(TAN): The Opening Ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was meant to take place in July this year. However, the event has been postponed to next year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But even though we’ll have to wait another year, the Olympian and Paralympian spirit is being kept alive with a 5-day athletic festival this summer.
Hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Airbnb, the summer festival will feature more than 100 Olympian and Paralympian experiences. The event is to be hosted virtually by some of the world’s best athletes.
[ALSO READ: Delta Hotels By Marriott- Grand Matlali Hills Resort & Spa Set For Revamp]
The festival will kick off with a special opening act co-hosted by athletes Colin Jackson, Pita Taufatofua and Dame Tanni-Grey Thompson on July 24, when the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 were originally scheduled to begin. The event will end with a closing act hosted by skateboarding icon Tony Hawk.
Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences is an opportunity for athletes to generate income while they share their passion for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their sport with guests and sports lovers.
Thomas Bach, IOC President, said, “The Olympic Games bring the whole world together and whilst we will all have to wait one more year to celebrate in Tokyo, the Olympic flame continues to be the light at the end of the dark tunnel humankind is currently going through. It demonstrates that we are stronger together.”
“This festival is a great platform to unite and inspire the world in the spirit of friendship and solidarity this summer. The IOC puts the athletes at the heart of the Olympic Movement and supports them at every stage of their journey. We are delighted to collaborate with Airbnb to provide innovative economic empowerment opportunities for Olympic and Paralympic athletes around the world,” Bach added.
Throughout the five days of programming across multiple time zones, the lineup will showcase a variety of interactive Online Experiences that guests can book on Airbnb. Spectators can also watch select Online Experiences live or on replay on Airbnb and Olympic and Paralympic YouTube channels. While many hosts will continue to offer their activities after the event ends, programmes like ‘the art of reinvention with Olympian Simidele Adeagbo’ and ‘positive thinking with Paralympic hero Stephen Miller’ will be exclusive online experiences.
Speaking about the unique experiences that guests can avail, Airbnb Co-Founder Joe Gebbia said, “At a time when it is difficult for people to gather and celebrate the exceptional performance of athletes, Airbnb is proud to host the summer festival which is a new way to experience the Olympic and Paralympic spirit online. Guests will be able to connect and interact with some of the most elite competitors within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, giving them even more reasons to cheer them on next year.”
[ALSO READ: Post COVID Travel- Luxury Tourism Will Recover Faster Than B&bs]
In addition to the Olympian and Paralympian Online Experiences and as a way to celebrate Tokyo 2020, local hosts in Japan are offering guests a way to explore the cultures and traditions of the country from their living rooms. Through support from Shibuya City Tourism Association, local hosts will lead a package of unique online activities like Become a Ramen Expert and A Tour of Historic Shibuya. Other ways to virtually transport to Japan will include Sake Secrets from Japan’s Oldest Brewery and Explore Kyoto Where Unique Old Gods Live.
The event will help provide direct earning opportunities for athletes, underlining the efforts of Airbnb, the IOC, and the IPC to support athletes, and to put them at the heart of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement. Fans can now support their heroes ahead of Tokyo 2020, as proceeds will provide valuable income to athlete hosts, now and beyond the festival, including some who are on the road to their Olympic and Paralympic dreams.
To book, users must update the Airbnb app available on iOS and Android.
