Let's Get Loud, Let's Get Loud .....
Interesting, if disappointing, news. While I have not had an interest in Formula Indy racing, Toronto cannot afford to lose important events.
I am surprised at the numbers of "peace and quiet" posters; let's have no events in Toronto that cause noise and bring in crowds.
As a contrast, having just spent the weekend in Singapore, that city/country is now preparing for its first F-1 Grand Prix race in September. This event will be unique in that it will be a city circuit, a la Monte Carlo, but it will be run at night. Since the number of formula 1 races is fixed, the Singapore event comes at the cost of closing another one. The F-1 race shifted to Singapore was the US Grand Prix!
As a point of interest on the type of crowds that F-1 racing attracts, grandstand seats at the start/finish line for the Malaysia Grand Prix next month are over US$600 each. I am sure prices in Singapore will be a bit more. They are projecting attendance of 80,000.
Toronto in 2007 had 10.6 million tourists spending $4.5 billion. UK was the largest overseas origin providing 280,000 visitors.
The target for Singapore in 2008 is 10.8 million tourist arrivals and US$11 billion in tourism receipts. In 2007, Singapore received 496,000 tourists from UK.
Speaking of noise and air pollution, the event that took me down to Singapore was their Air Show, now considered the third most important in the world after Farnborough and Orly. Lots of noise. Lots of people.
The champion crowd pleaser, the 380 Airbus - quiet, maneuverable, amazing.
Oh, and there is even more noise and big crowds to come. Singapore also beat out Moscow to host the first Olympic Youth Games in 2010. Even the noise from the crowd of 5000 who turned out for the announcement from Lausanne were much too noisy.
At least Stamford Raffles is quiet.
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