Residents' Perceptions of a Future Olympic Bid in Heber, Utah*

Abstract This study seeks to investigate residents' support for a future Winter Olympic host bid in Heber, Utah, a growing rural community about 45 miles from Salt Lake City. Specifically, we examine how feelings toward one's community and feelings toward Salt Lake City's hosting of the 2002 Winter Olympics predict support for a future Olympic bid. In order to investigate our research question, we use data collected in Heber Valley in 2012 and 2018. We find that community attachment, community satisfaction, and the community's perceived desirability significantly predict support for a future Olympic bid. Compared to the baseline year of 2012, 2018 was significantly different, indicating that support for a future bid has decreased as time has passed since the 2002 Olympic Games. Length of residence, employment status, and use of the Soldier Hollow facilities were also significant predictors of support for a future Olympic bid. There were slight variations among the independent variables when separating the observations by community within Heber Valley (i.e., among residents of the city of Heber, Midway, or other towns).