The 2026 Winter Olympics Are an Endurance Test for Travelers, Not Just Athletes
Photo Caption: Flags for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Bormio, Italy. Beatrice Tagliaferri/Skift
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Milano Cortina 2026 is testing whether modern mega-events can function without a single dominant transport hub.
The Winter Olympics are finally here, but preparations for a different feat of endurance have been underway for months. Not for athletes, but for ordinary visitors using airports and transport networks across northern Italy.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are structurally different from any previous Games. They are the first to be officially shared between two host cities – Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo – and among the most geographically dispersed in history.
To reduce costs and meet sustainability goals, organizers leaned heavily on existing infrastructure. A total of 15 competition venues are spread across northern Italy, separated by hundreds of miles of mountains, valleys, and narrow transport corridors.
Around two million visitors are expected across the main Winter Olympics and subsequent Winter Paralympics. This includes more than 3,500 athletes who are traveling from 93 countries.
‘Widespread’ Olympics by Design
