Price comparison: Winter Olympics tour packages

In a couple of weeks, the Winter Olympics will begin in Vancouver. Hence, the Asian Wall Street Journal’s weekly Arbitrage column has recently conducted a survey of Olympics tour packages in various cities in Asia and around the world. The survey found that prices were highest in European cities and lowest in Asian cities. However, the tour packages from Asian cities did not include a ticket to the opening ceremonies which, along with the shorter distances, contributed to the lower prices.

Price Comparison*

London	8,696 Pounds	US$13,909
Brussels	€7,870	US$10,988
Frankfurt	€6,925	US$9,688
Paris	€6,215	US$8,677
Rome	€5,472	US$7,639
Tokyo	586,830 Yen	US$6,484
Hong Kong	HK$36,808	US$4,733

* Package includes round-trip business-class ticket to Vancouver plus two nights in a four star hotel (February 11 - 13; per person, double occupancy). Prices are based upon foreign exchange rates as of February 3, 2010.