When you hear that kind of statistic you can’t help but wonder where they are all going to stay.
That thought is already keeping some bid officials up at night as the Vancouver Organizing Committee sets about drawing up contracts with hotels and other accommodation providers to host the Olympic family, media VIPs, Olympic sponsors and tourists who want to come and enjoy the spectacle.
VANOC has secured about 3,500 rooms in Whistler and another 16,000 in Vancouver.
"Our hotels from day one have supported this and we wanted to make sure that we put together the best hotels accommodation package for the (International Olympic Committee)," said Dave Gazely, of Tourism Vancouver.
"The (IOC) was very, very pleasantly surprised because those of us who live in Vancouver know how wonderful our city is but some of these folk hadn’t been here before and they were just blown away because of the quality of our hotel product."
Setting up the contracts in Vancouver will be a pretty straightforward exercise said Yvonne Curry, project manager of accommodation for VANOC. There will be a standard form with various clauses, which can be added or deleted according to the property.
But getting Whistler’s accommodation sector organized will take a little more work thanks to the layers of owners, management companies and chain hotels which exist.
"Just identifying the layers with the properties was the first challenge," said Curry.
"So we are working with each group individually then collectively to come up with an agreement that will satisfy everybody."
Part of that challenge is dealing with owners of strata-titled properties within large complexes who live overseas. Each time ownership of that unit changes the deal will have to be renegotiated, said Curry.
One of the greatest concerns of organizers is the potential for gouging.
Stakeholders have already set up a formula to set hotel room prices for the Olympic family – sponsors, officials with various sports and others with a tie to the Games. They will be based on the average room rate for the establishment from 2005 to 2007 plus a premium, which will add close to 20 per cent to the room rate.
The accommodation sector will be paid by VANOC, who will then get the money back form the IOC.
"We came up with what we thought would be one of the fairest ways of determining a rate formula so that the Olympic family rooms are at a fair rate," said Gazely.
"Essentially we want to make sure that the world out there knows that Vancouver hotels will not be rate gouging for the Olympic family rooms."
Gazely, who went to Salt Lake City to learn from their experience with the Games in 2002, believes that city’s pricing was a little aggressive.
"We certainly don’t want Vancouver to be seen in the same light as some other past Olympic cities, which have been way too aggressive in their pricing," he said.
"You want to make a fair profit over that high demand period but you still want them to come back."
Accommodation providers will have spare rooms and they are free to charge whatever they like for those.
But said Curry of VANOC: "I think it would behoove us not to try to gouge.
"So we are going to work closely with them to keep the pricing fair not only in the hotels and bed and breakfasts but also in the restaurants and the gift shops."
"It is a mater of communication. We are going to work very closely with the properties that have remaining inventory and say to them this is a good opportunity for Whistler to really maximize the benefit of bringing a huge production like this to town."
Diana Lyons, vice-chair of the board of directors of Tourism Whistler and general manager of the Dealt Village Suites, said while there are challenges for Whistler property owners and managers are up to them.
"Certainly in my discussion with property manager and individuals I have heard nothing but positive comments," she said.
"I think everyone is very excited about the opportunity that the Olympics present for us."
The Delta, said Lyons, does not plan on sending room rates through the roof just because a 16-day event is coming to town.
"Understanding the market the way it is now I can’t imagine that we would go out with higher rates than what we have offered the IOC.
"Our pricing will always provide good value for what we offer and if I am still here, and I hope to be, then I will absolutely follow through on our commitment to give exceptional service and exceptional value."
While there is no set date it’s likely spectators will be able to start booking accommodations about 18 months out from the February 12, 2010 start date of the Games.
When the accommodation plan is complete, and there is no specific deadline for it, it will be given the once over by the IOC.
Drawing on the experience of previous Games the IOC will help match up Olympic sponsors with accommodations so that everyone is happy.
Thousands of media will also have to be accommodated in hotels and such in Vancouver.
Whistler is planning to build a temporary village in the Cheakamus south area, near Function Junction, for the media. It’s likely that will stay in place and be used for media and volunteers for the Paralympic Games which run after the Olympics.
And like other Olympics there will be a Homestay program set up so that friends and families of athletes who cannot afford to stay in Whistler or Vancouver will be able to come and cheer on their local heroes.
"Some of the folks from Salt Lake and Park City said hosting a family was the most fun they had at the Games," said Maureen Douglas of VANOC.
"You become one step removed form the entire family emotion of what it is like to have someone competing in the Games and that would be a pretty amazing opportunity."
