I am not sure if the timing was bad...its just that they managed to mess everything up by using the Olympics to stir up nathionalism. So many promises have been made to the Chinese people. Every Chinese that I have spoken to expect millions to attend the Olympics and “witness” China’s splendor. In the past, attendance at the Olympics outside of the participants and their families have been a few thousand. Even if with all the hype the attendees double, it will likely fall well short of a hundred thousand.
Cities like Barcelona witnessed a bubble that just deflated after the Olympics. I don’t think there’s anyone in China who even imagines that for Beijing. It may well not be so, but the CCP will have millions of people who re expecting to get rich over night and witness the onset of the golden age of China right after the Olympics...a tall story in my opinion. You just have to look at the spike in real estate prices in Beijing in this past year to get a pulse of what the people expect this will turn out like. There will be a mess...and the Chinese will need something else to keep them entertained once the Olympics is over.
Imperialist Running Dogs bent on denying the China its rightful place in the world are supposed to provide it.:-)
http://www.etoa.org/Pdf/Press_etoa_olympic_report1.pdf
A very god article on the effect of Olympics on tourism :)