Fans Stay Away from Sochi After Terror Threats, Hotels Unfinished

After repeated terrorists threats that have caused even Olympic athletes to tell their families to not go to Sochi for the Winter Olympics, foreigners seem to be also staying away from Sochi, where the Games begin this weekend. The Associated Press noted workers at the tourist information stand at the Sochi train station have only seen one foreigner — a South Korean — two days before the games were to start. 

Those that make it to Sochi may face miserable conditions at their hotels, as journalists arriving to cover the games have found out this week (see pictures below). 

The Associated Press noted that “fears about terrorism and the hassle of reaching Sochi from points abroad may be keeping some foreigners away – and undermining Vladimir Putin’s plans to transform Sochi into a magnet for international tourism.” A train “traveling between Olympic sites and downtown” recently saw half of its seats empty and not a single foreigner on it. 

Here are some more photos of unfinished hotels around Sochi: