Park City and its sister city are each planning to host the Winter Olympics.
The Alpine community of Courchevel in France will play a major role in the 2030 Games, while the Park City region is a key player in plans for the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The upcoming games at the two venues could be a topic of discussion in the coming weeks when a delegation from Courchevel travels to Park City. Mayor Nann Worel provided an update on the upcoming trip during a Park City council meeting on Thursday. She indicated that the Courchevel delegation is scheduled to arrive in Park City on Aug. 30 and depart on Sept. 6. The mayor of Courchevel is expected to lead the eight-person delegation, Worel said.
She said travelers wanted to study Park City’s tourism industry, including efforts to attract visitors outside of the traditionally busy ski season.
“Their goal during their stay is to learn how we became a vibrant city year-round. They have a really vibrant winter season and in the summer they kind of roll up the sidewalks. And they want to change that,” Worel said, adding that the schedule includes discussions with the Park City Chamber/Bureau and other organizations.
The mayor did not give the travelers a detailed overview of the itinerary.
It seems almost certain that representatives from Park City and Courchevel will have at least some say in the 2030 and 2034 Games, as visits are planned at the beginning of the Olympic era in both locations.
The International Olympic Committee awarded the hosting of both events in July. The 2030 Games will stretch across a strip of southern France, while the 2034 Winter Olympics will be held in Salt Lake City, with competition venues in northern Utah.
The Park City area is crucial to the concept of the Games. Park City Mountain, Deer Valley Resort and Utah Olympic Park have been selected as key competition sites. The area will also be heavily involved in transportation, security and celebration plans. The Courchevel area is expected to host skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined events at the 2030 Games, making it one of the key events of the event.
A delegation from the South of France visited the Park City area in January to learn about efforts to host a second Games in the state and to learn about the legacy of the 2002 Winter Olympics. The trip included a stop at Utah Olympic Park.
The president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur regional council, Renaud Muselier, led the French delegation in January and expressed confidence in the region’s ability to host the Games. He said the French Alps were predicted to have enough snow to host the Olympics by mid-century.
A group of Courchevel students visited Utah in July as part of a student exchange program. The stay coincided with the IOC’s selection of the host cities for the 2030 and 2034 Games.
Worel also said at Thursday’s meeting that a delegation from Park City, including herself, had traveled to Courchevel in 2023 to attend the ski championships and learn “how they organize their events and how they deal with their transportation issues, etc.”
