Regional Economic and Tourism Effects of Major Sporting Events

Major sporting events are a popular means allegedly trigger positive economic effects for the host city or surrounding region. The expected economic benefit is based on the one hand on infrastructure investments made for the purpose of the event and that benefit the local population or businesses, and on the other hand on value added from tourism: not only is the influx of visitors expected to generate additional revenue, but the increased media attention is also expected to improve the profile and image of the region. These long-term ("legacy") effects should continue to have a positive impact for years after the event. Empirical studies, however, paint a less favourable picture: across many events, only temporary effects are detectable – if any at all. Moreover, they are usually moderate, while the costs of the event are usually significantly higher than planned.