Hosting Winter Games viewed as the start of a process

Chinese athletes' performances at the 2022 Winter Olympics will be an important factor in judging whether the event is a success, according to a top tourism official from Tyrol, the Austrian state that has hosted two Winter Olympics.

Florian Phleps, head of the Tyrol Tourism Board, said: "For Beijing 2022 to be one of the most successful Olympic Games will depend not just on the sport, but also on how successful Chinese athletes are. But I am really confident it will be successful, given how great the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing were and how well organized they were."

Citing Austria as an example, Phleps said the country has a very long tradition in winter sports and tourism, but most important, has athletes who perform well at the Winter Olympics.