Eurlings told insidethegames at the SPORTELMonaco convention here that the IOC "need to convince the citizens again that we are not adapting a country to the needs of the Games but we are adapting the Games to the country".

There remains continued apathy from cities towards bidding for the 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.

A potential bid from Innsbruck, a prominent winter sport venue which had hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, was rejected by voters in a state referendum in Austria last week.

The IOC have recently launched a "streamlined" candidature process for the Games in an effort to entice more cities to bid.

The organisation also hope cost-saving measures as part of reforms to the management of the Winter Olympic Games, which IOC executive director for the Olympic Games Christophe Dubi claimed would save $500 million (£380 million/€422 million) from the cost of future editions, will help reinvigorate interest.

Dubi also claimed they are currently completing a process to draw-up 200 measures designed to make Games management "more efficient and less costly".

Eurlings, a former Dutch politician and businessman, believes this is a good step but said more work must also be done in other areas, including communication.

The Dutchman is confident this will also help change the negative public perception surrounding bidding for the Games amid a raft of corruption, vote-buying and doping scandals connected to the Olympics.

"I really think that we need to think more than ever outside of the box," Eurlings, chairman of the IOC's Communications Commission, told insidethegames.

"We need to try to create Games that are maximum cost efficient - how low can you go? 

"How close can you get to the people?

"If you look at the challenge for the future, we need to think out of the box and make the Winter and Summer Games more attractive to smaller nations.

"The bigger cities will continue to bid and that's perfect but we need a situation in which the middle-sized countries and smaller countries consider it viable again.

"That is the mentality we need to convince the citizens again that we are not adapting a country to the needs of the Games but we are adapting the Games to the country.

"Then I think you get a different perception."

Interest in 2026 has been relatively low so far but the IOC were boosted by an Exploratory Committee being set up in Salt Lake City, hosts in 2002, to look into a possible bid for either the 2026 or 2030 editions of the Winter Games.

A bid from Sion also moved a step closer last week as the Swiss Government agreed to back it, although its fate is still likely to be decided by a referendum.

Sapporo may also submit a candidacy after Dubi claimed the fact that the Japanese city would be the third consecutive Asian host of the Winter Olympics if they were to be successful would not count against them.

Calgary in Canada and Sweden's capital Stockholm are among other possible bidders.

"I am still positive and I think there could be other candidates coming up," Eurlings added.

"We have a clear challenge there and from a communication point of view we are going to put more emphasis on communicating the legacy before the Games but also after the Games.

"We need to show what went right, what didn't go as planned and be very transparent.

"What the positive challenge is with the winter and more complex summer Games is to see small to mid-sized countries bring a good, high-quality bid until the end.

"That will be the final proof in the pudding and we are on our way.

"We are moving in the right direction, I am sure."