CANADA – The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC) says it was a “brave” move for Delhi to bid for the Commonwealth Games, as more top athletes pull out of the event plagued by concerns over accommodation, construction and security.
Hamilton in Ontario, Canada, lost in the bidding for the event back in 2003 with 22 votes to 46. The event is to take place between 3 and 14 October 2010 at venues across the Indian capital.
CTC’s Senior Vice President for Marketing, Strategy and Communications, Greg Klassen, tells CMW: “Hosting an event of such magnitude provides real leverage to change people’s perceptions of a destination, the downside though is all the attention and media can create risk for such a project. I am afraid India, today, is falling into the unfortunate.
“I think Delhi was brave to bid and it was a brave choice to chose the area to host such an event. But it is still a real opportunity for them to tell their story to the world and show what a progressive country they are. I am still hopeful they will pull off an outstanding event,” he adds.
The CTC is currently in London to market its MICE product to the UK.
