The dollar figure \u2014 $26,889.23 \u2014 is the total cost of the three. The municipal government said airfare, lodging and meals were the top spending categories.<\/p>\n
The delegation participated in an observers program organized by the International Olympic Committee designed for figures involved in the planning of a future Games. The Park City travelers joined others from Utah on fact-finding missions as part of the effort to prepare for the Winter Olympics in 2034.<\/p>\n
The Milano Cortina Games were notable as the first Winter Olympics since the the 2034 Games were awarded to Utah,<\/a> and it being one of only two Winter Olympics prior to 2034.<\/p>\n \u201cWe heard from Utah 2034 that it was important for us to be part of that,\u201d Dickey said about the observers program.<\/p>\n Funds for the trips by the three officials came from an earmark in the municipal budget meant for Games preparations.<\/p>\n City Councilors Bill Ciraco<\/a> and Diego Zegarra<\/a> attended the Games as well but did not travel as part of the official delegation. They paid for the trips themselves and did not seek reimbursement. Both of them earlier indicated they would self-fund their trips.<\/p>\n Travel to both the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics is a standard practice for a community planning to host a Games. Officials are able to witness, in person, the successes and challenges of staging a Games. They typically learn about transportation systems, security, business trends and the celebration. The observations can then help guide some of the subsequent planning.<\/p>\n Dickey described the trip as an \u201cevery-day grind\u201d and said the travelers opted for lodging well outside Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, one of the Alpine venue communities, to reduce costs.<\/p>\n \u201cThis was a work trip. I was happy when it was over,\u201d he said, describing the commute between the lodging and Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo as taking approximately one hour by bus.<\/p>\n The Games in Italy were the second observation opportunity for Park City, following the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The mayor at that time, Nann Worel, traveled to the French capital<\/a> for research purposes and to be in attendance as the IOC awarded the Games of 2034 to Salt Lake City.<\/p>\n It seems likely Park City will send officials to the upcoming Games<\/a> \u2014 the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps and the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, Australia \u2014 as well. Travel was also one of the key sources of information as an earlier generation of Park City officials planned for the 2002 Winter Olympics<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/italy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/20260209-DJS22165.jpg\")
Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, one of the Winter Olympic venue communities, was of interest to the Park City delegation that traveled to the Games in Italy. It is a famous mountain resort with similarities to Park City.
Credit: Park Record file photo by David Jackson<\/p>\n