Following the 2021 elections, the Mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, assigned her the responsibilities for managing Sport and Tourism. Martina Riva, 32 years old, will thus have a challenging role in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will have a significant impact particularly on these two aspects. It is a challenging commitment, but she appears to have a clear vision.
Optimists predict that Milano-Cortina 2026 will have a boost effect comparable to that of Expo 2015. Do you agree?
MR – Yes, we expect similar results. Expo worked a miracle in transforming Milan into a tourist city, and the Olympics can trigger a profound cultural shift not only at the city level but also nationally. We need this because we live in a country where, if a child gets a bad grade at school, they are punished by skipping their favorite sports practice. Instead, we should understand that sport is part of the educational journey and that every euro spent on sport saves four euros in healthcare. We have one year before the Olympics begin, and that’s why we are working on many outdoor initiatives in the city, both with the event’s official sponsors and with other companies that want to invest in sports.
What effects do you expect in terms of tourism?
MR – A certainly positive impact, although I don’t think the city’s tourist flows will change significantly, as they already range between 700,000 and 800,000 people per month. There are many Olympic venues, and the benefits will be distributed throughout Northern Italy. Since the post-COVID period, Milan has recorded yearly increases in tourist numbers, reaching +7% in 2024. The Olympics will act as a catalyst for tourism for us too, but especially in the coming years. This is a recurring phenomenon in every Olympics because “ordinary” tourists often find it inconvenient to travel during the year of the event and prefer to do so afterward. It is no coincidence that flights to Japan are now much cheaper than they have been in the past decade… and we are five years past the last Olympics. Milan will still benefit from extraordinary publicity. We will be live 24/7 on televisions worldwide, and we will host over 200 broadcasters in Piazza Duomo, who will conduct interviews with the city’s iconic monument as their backdrop.
Let’s talk about the infrastructural legacy: what will remain as a lasting asset for the city?
MR – The flagship infrastructure of the legacy is the Olympic Village, which already has a defined future: the day after the Paralympics conclude, it will be converted into student housing. Milan has a great need for this type of residence, as it has increasingly become a university city. The City Council has done important work to secure agreements for a portion of the housing, making them accessible to as many students as possible. As for sports facilities, the arena at the Fiera exhibition center will be able to host major indoor Athletics, Tennis, Basketball, and Volleyball events in the future.
Grassroots sports need support: do you have any planned initiatives?
MR – There is the “Generazione Sport” program, which has been awarded to the group led by CSI (Centro Sportivo Italiano), along with the non-profits Comunità Nuova and Farsi Prossimo. Thanks to resources that are partly public and partly private, underprivileged children will have access to sports activities through a voucher system for purchasing courses or sports equipment. Additionally, training courses for coaches will be offered to provide them with educational skills. Our goal is to keep this fund active for a period of three to five years, depending on the resources we can secure. We know that accessibility is one of the main reasons for dropout in sports, especially given Milan’s high cost of living: prices rise, but wages remain stagnant. Nationally, 70% of children under 14 regularly participate in sports, but the numbers drop significantly by the age of 18. Support is crucial, both for physical and mental health.
What about projects related to the Paralympics?
MR – As a city administration, we have set the major goal of eliminating all architectural barriers across the five metro lines. The two most recent lines are already fully accessible, but work is needed on the first three, and thanks to the push from the Olympics and Paralympics, we have managed to secure the necessary funds. We are also working on various projects aimed at integrating young people with disabilities into the sports sector: we are in contact with a nonprofit organization that has done excellent work in Paris, and I hope we can soon announce some exciting developments on this front.
In every Olympics, cost overruns influence the final judgment. Mayor Sala has said he is more reassured after discussions with the national Government. Do you share this view?
MR – I don’t have any additional insights beyond what the Mayor has stated because this issue is being addressed at other levels. However, I can assure you that there is strong collaboration across all institutional levels, from regional authorities to the national Government, as the event is recognized as a matter of national interest. While Milan initially committed to proceeding with only private funding, we must acknowledge that various force majeure events —COVID, the Russia-Ukraine war, and energy price increases— have made that budget insufficient. We will therefore also rely on public funds, but always in the public interest, to ensure we are fully prepared for February 6, 2026.
Beyond financial concerns, is there anything else that worries you or that you are particularly focused on?
MR – My biggest goal is for these to be the Olympics for everyone. We are working every day to ensure that everyone can enjoy them, not just those who can attend the competitions in person. This means having fan zones and other dedicated areas for side events, which were exceptionally well-developed in Paris 2024. My other concern is transportation. I fear that traveling between Milan, Bormio, Livigno, and Cortina will not be easy. Having many locations involved is certainly a strength for our Country, but at the same time, the existing infrastructure is inadequate. And I don’t believe it will be sufficient within a year.
