Last torchbearer, a few meters to the finish line. The skater Guido Carolitorch in hand, advances quickly towards the brazier, without realizing that the ice rink is crossed by a big black cable: falls, gets up, lights the flame. Cortina 1956, the first Olympics broadcast in Italy by television. Who gave a crazy boost to winter sports and mountain tourism, changing the face of a small village in Belluno – little known at the time and with just 6 thousand inhabitants – and starting to build an iconic image. This is why all the energy passes through that cable that made Caroli go astray – placed there specifically for TV requests revolutionary charge of an event that went far beyond competitive competition.
Today, in thatmountainous amphitheater which leaves us amazed every time, the curtain is about to rise again: seventy years after the first glorious Italian edition, the Winter Olympics they return to Cortina, now in joint form with Milan (and seven other municipalities that will host the various disciplines, ed.). And although the premises are completely different, some emerge parallels with the past: first of all there is the desire to innovation which is intertwined with the need to safeguard one’s own tradition, then stands out the need to allow the widest possible audience – and in the best possible way – to attend the event. In two words: enthusiasm And organizationyesterday like now.
So we went up to altitude together with On Location – official hospitality provider of Milan-Cortina 2026 – to see first-hand how the Queen of the Dolomites is preparing for the big event. The occasion was the stage of Women’s World Cup, real Olympic test considering that on that track, the legendary one Olympia delle Tofane, in twelve months the best female skiers in the world will descend. Among them, two champions who in recent years have been making the hearts of Italians beat: Sofia Goggiaalready gold in Pyeongchang 2018, e Federica Brignonefresh from success at the World Cup in France. Unstoppable, the weekend’s loot disappeared: on the first la free descentto the second the Super-G.
Of course, those races are still very much missing circled in red on the calendar, but state of the art ambitions of the blue ones are really tall: partly out of prudence and partly out of good luck, the only solid truth concerns the latest resultswith Sofia returning to excel after the serious injury that kept her away from the pits for ten months and Federica flying alone at the top of the overall World Cup ranking. A dream weekendtherefore, for the athletes but also for the numerous spectatorsthose who arrived in Cortina: the weather did its part, providing days of clear skies and extreme visibility, the organizers took care of the rest, thanks to whom everything went smoothly.
Obviously, the people who will arrive in the village and on the slopes next year will be much more, but the Olympic test can be said to have been passed brilliantly. Above all for the festive atmosphere we breathed around the event: the square full for awards and bib assignments, the lounge with a view of the finish line already fully operational and with appetizing menus, then the quick connections, the après ski in music and, overall, very little waiting. To think that there are still around seventy of them construction sites active in the valley, the works are proceeding at an increasingly rapid pace: many concern hotel renovation and refreshment points, so that hospitality can be a feather in the cap.
«We will propose a global hospitality model, which we introduced at the Paris Games and will propose again at Los Angeles 2028″, he explains Paul Caine, president of On Location, leader in the high-level experiential hospitality sector, appointed indeed exclusive supplier of services for the hospitality programs of these three Olympic editions. «Compared to the past, there is more transparency for the user, who knows what he is buying: a ticket, but also accommodation, transfers and other unique experiences. Whether it’s a family, a company or a fan, we cater to anyone who wants to enjoy the event in the best possible worldAnd”. On the site, in fact, it is possible to build your own package, with great results flexibility.
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«Then there will be the packages personalized which will provide access to museums and restaurants» (Off-Venue Hospitality, with extra experiences compared to the Olympic events, on sale from 6 February). On the other hand, food and culture, especially in Italy, are among the elements of greater attractiveness. «We understood that people arrive with the desire to experiment local traditions, also culinary. Around here, I think they all agree,” Caine smiled. «We treat every guest as if they were doing it the most important thing in his life and we don’t care how much he spent (ranging from a few hundred euros to several thousand, ed.). We want you to have the absolute best experience: a global experienceprecisely”.
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«This is it our philosophywhich we express in travel, in hotels, in food, in concierge service, in seating”, concluded Caine. «By adapting to the location of the event and providing ever-changing opportunities, without ever replying anything». Cortina, this time too, is ready to indicate the route, as in 1956: for a new revolutionalso in hospitality.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
