The Olympic effect: How the 2026 Winter Olympic Games power the experience economy
Discover how seamless payments support travel, ticketing, and tourism at Milano Cortina 2026, driving €2 billion in visitor spending and long‑term growth.
Every edition of the Olympic Games creates more than a global sports moment. It ignites a surge in travel, digital engagement, and real-world spending that extends far beyond the arenas and competition venues. As anticipation builds for Milano Cortina 2026, running from February 6th to February 22nd, the scale of the event’s global impact is already clear. More than 2 million visitors are expected to arrive in Milan and Cortina during the Games, underscoring the extraordinary draw of this international gathering. At the same time, the Winter Games are set to attract a global broadcast audience of around three billion viewers, placing the Winter Olympics among the most-watched events on the planet.
From booking trips to securing tickets, exploring host cities, and engaging digitally, payments are at the center of every interaction around the 2026 Winter Olympic Games and reveal how the experience economy thrives when seamless, trusted payments power every moment.
Travel: A global surge in movement and spending
The Winter Olympic Games consistently reshape global travel patterns, but Milano Cortina 2026 is set to generate one of the most significant spikes in recent memory. Demand for flights, accommodations, and mobility services is rising well ahead of the Opening Ceremony, with international arrivals surging as fans, athletes, media, and partners prepare to converge across Northern Italy. New data shows that flight bookings to the region have already climbed by more than 160% compared with the same period last winter, driven largely by travelers from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
This sudden influx places new pressure on airlines, hotels, short-term rental providers, and transportation providers to deliver reliable, seamless payment experiences. Visitors are transacting on the go, in foreign currencies, and relying on digital wallets or familiar payment methods to navigate their stay. A single declined transaction can cost a booking or damage the travel experience, which is why cross-border payment acceptance, dynamic currency conversion, and robust fraud prevention practices are essential during global events of this scale.
Ticketing and on-site commerce: Payments shaping the fan journey
The Winter Olympic fan journey begins long before spectators enter a venue. As soon as tickets are released, organizers face intense global demand across web and mobile channels. Traffic peaks can occur within minutes, and fans expect fast, reliable transactions that secure their seats without delays or errors. This creates a high-stakes environment in which payment infrastructure must process large volumes smoothly, even as buyers log in from different countries, use various payment methods, and purchase across multiple devices.
Once fans arrive on site, spending extends beyond ticketing. Food stalls, merchandise stands, partner activations, and pop-up experiences contribute to a vibrant commercial ecosystem that depends on real-time, high-throughput payments. Contactless and mobile wallet usage increases dramatically during events of this scale, helping reduce queues and keep fans moving. A seamless payment flow becomes central to how spectators perceive the overall experience.
Key on-site spending categories include:
- Food and beverage purchases
- Winter Olympic merchandise and local souvenirs
- Sponsor activations and experiential pop-ups
- Transportation and mobility services
Across all these touchpoints, payments operate quietly in the background, enabling fans to focus on the energy of the Games rather than the mechanics of each transaction.
Dining, entertainment, and local experiences: The wider ripple effect
Beyond the competition venues, the Winter Olympics provide a powerful boost to restaurants, tourist sites, entertainment spaces, and independent businesses across host cities. Visitors seek more than the winter games themselves, exploring the food, traditions, and character of the regions they travel through. For many small- and mid-sized businesses, this period represents a rare opportunity to capture demand from a global audience that values convenience, familiarity, and payment choice.
During Milano Cortina 2026, this spending will be significant. Analysis from Banca Ifis projects €1.1 billion in direct expenditure during the Games period, driven by hospitality, retail, food and beverage, transportation, and on-site visitor services. This rise reflects how immersive experiences extend well beyond the stadiums, as fans fill restaurants, book tours, visit museums, and shop locally. Visitors increasingly expect merchants to support digital wallets, alternative payment methods, and secure mobile checkouts that match how they pay at home.
The result is a ripple effect that strengthens local economies and highlights how trusted payments shape where tourists choose to spend their time and money.
Olympic wagering: A surge in interest during a quiet sports window
The Winter Olympics tend to generate a wave of wagering interest because the event compresses high-stakes moments into a short two-week window while capturing the attention of both casual fans and seasoned bettors. Milano Cortina is expected to follow this trend, particularly because most of the Games take place immediately after the Super Bowl, a period when the broader sports calendar is relatively quiet and fewer major leagues compete for audience focus. This timing draws global attention to the Winter Olympics and, by extension, the iGaming markets surrounding them.
Ice hockey is the most popular sports for betting. A recent Paysafe survey of more than 3,800 consumers worldwide found that 18% watched or followed ice hockey, with 7% indicating they often bet on it. In Canada, that rate was 30%, and in the US, 15%. Beyond hockey, betting activity is expected to broaden across niche sports as well.
This convergence of casual and highly engaged bettors makes the Winter Olympic Games a unique period in the global betting landscape, with interest shaped by national pride, unpredictable outcomes, and the high visibility of billions of viewers worldwide.
As wagering activity grows across multiple sports and regions, payment performance becomes just as important as odds and outcomes. Bettors expect fast deposits, instant withdrawals, and secure transactions. In this way, payments play a central role in enabling safe, seamless, and trusted betting experiences during one of the busiest global moments in the sports calendar.
Payments as the engine of the experience economy
Across every Olympic touchpoint, payments function as the connective layer that allows the experience economy to thrive. From cross-border commerce to real-time digital interactions, seamless transactions enable fans, travelers, and businesses to move effortlessly through the heightened activity that defines a global event. During Milano Cortina 2026, payment systems will support everything from mobile ticketing to hospitality, retail, entertainment, and gaming, ensuring that visitors can rely on familiar methods no matter where they come from.
The economic impact also extends long after the Winter Olympic Games conclude. Key factors contributing to this continued momentum include:
- Direct spending during the Games that stimulates immediate commercial activity
- An expected €1.2 billion tourism boost in the 12 to 18 months that follow, driven by renewed global visibility
- Lasting interest in the host regions that continues as improved infrastructure attracts returning visitors
- A sustained lift in visibility as global coverage encourages ongoing interest and engagement in these sports
For Paysafe, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games underscore the importance of providing payment choice, security, and scale for merchants and consumers alike. Whether through card acquiring, digital wallets like Skrill and Neteller, or alternative payment methods tailored to local preferences, the goal is to reduce friction so meaningful experiences can take center stage.
The Winter Olympics offer a powerful reminder that the experience economy does not run on spectacle alone. It runs on trusted, seamless payments that support every journey, transaction, and shared moment.
To learn how Paysafe can support your business during major global events and beyond, connect with our team today.
