The 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics are expected to generate billions of dollars, but a new report is highlighting that it may not be lucrative to every community hosting — or near — competitions.
Cities like Carson, Pomona, and the City of Industry, and Los Angeles neighborhoods like Exposition Park, are among the places hosting games for the LA Olympics and are likely to see increased traffic from visitors attending the games. However, these areas risk becoming “passthrough areas,” struggling to “capture visitor spending outside event venues,” according to a new report released by Los Angeles County.
The findings arrive just as it was announced that the Olympic flame, which will travel to all 50 states in 2028, will begin its journey in Atlanta.
The capital of Georgia hosted the last U.S. Summer Olympic Games in 1996, according to LA28.
'Economic opportunity does not distribute itself equitably'
Carson, Pomona, the City of Industry and Exposition Park aren’t alone in this challenge. Maps in the report show swaths of Los Angeles County near venues that still have low tourism activity.
Areas near major venues such as Crenshaw, West Adams and Pico-Union in Los Angeles will also see traffic because of the LA Olympics, yet may still struggle to draw visitors’ spending outside the venues hosting competitions, according to the report.
“The Games will bring billions of dollars into our region, but economic opportunity does not distribute itself equitably,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said in a statement. “If we want local workers, small businesses, and host communities to benefit, we have to be intentional about it.”
Still, these communities have opportunities. The LA Olympics can accelerate infrastructure projects and improvements, which would benefit residents, the report said. Los Angeles County can also help communities “attract visitor spending,” according to the report.
The LA Olympics are less than two years away and are expected to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region.
While some communities that will host events but aren’t typical tourist destinations may struggle to capture local benefits, other places will attract visitors even without hosting games. That includes West Hollywood, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Burbank, according to the report.
One challenge will be transportation, as some areas that’ll attract visitors aren’t connected to the LA Metro rail system and will instead be dependent on buses, according to the report.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County’s major cultural attractions, such as the Hollywood Bowl, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art may benefit from an increase in tourism due to the games; However, regional attractions will need to “employ aggressive marketing and incentives” to drive visitors away from events related to the LA Olympics. Solutions, according to the report, include working with the host committee of the LA Olympics so ticket holders can easily visit county-owned attractions.
Earlier this year, a report found that Los Angeles and Orange counties could miss out on millions in economic activity if they fail to increase the number of places to stay when the region becomes crowded with visitors for the games.
How long are the summer Olympics?
The Olympic Games are July 14-30, 2028. The Paralympic Games are Aug. 15-27, 2028.
Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at pbarraza@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: These LA communities could miss out on 2028 Olympics spending
