Hosting international sports event such as Olympics or football World Cup gives the host country great benefit in terms of development. It improves infrastructural projects, city beautification, accommodation and transport system. It also helps in transferring first class technology to the country (Institute of International Trade, 2011).
Sporting events bring competitors together to compete in honest games – “may the best man win” – encouraging worldwide openness and advancing worldwide fellowships.
Economic Impact
From continental championships like the UEFA Euro to national leagues like the NFL, major sporting events have the ability to revitalize a local economy. This is because these events generate business for regional firms through visitor spending in areas such as tourism, hospitality, and retail. In addition, they also encourage investments in local facilities, boosting the region’s sports economy.
In the past, economic impact analyses of sport events focused on estimating the amount of money spent by event guests in a given host economy. However, these evaluations were often based on subjective perceptions and flawed methodologies. As a result, the results were misleading and exaggerated (Baade and Matheson 2016).
In order to improve the methodology of economic impact analysis, researchers should focus on identifying all the flows of public and private funds that are generated by hosting an international sports event. This includes the organizational costs, induced economic activity, and other intangible societal benefits such as enhanced image.
Social Impact
Amid international tensions and social division, a sport event can serve as a platform for the peaceful encounter of individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. This interaction dramatizes the fundamental commonality of everyone’s desires and aspirations in a global setting.
In the case of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Mostar, surveys and interviews showed that local residents perceive the event as laying valuable groundwork for progress and peace. For example, the euphoria and celebratory atmosphere created by the event enhanced the subjective well-being of attendees. Additionally, the event’s connection with local traditions and places of significance promoted feelings of pride in the city.
In addition, the perceived neutrality of the event organizer (here, a well-known international organization external to the region) served as an advantage when it came to promoting unity and peace. Intentionality appears to be a necessary precondition for the facilitation of these positive community impacts, but more research is needed on how to leverage intentionality for greater impact.
Environmental Impact
Major sports events can have significant environmental impacts. These include the construction of stadiums and complexes which require the clearing of land and use a large amount of energy and water. The transportation and travel of athletes, media, and spectators also generates a lot of carbon emissions.
Despite a number of impressive efforts from individual venues and the IOC, there remains a general lack of mandatory regulation and enforcement of environmental measures by the industry. Furthermore, there is a tendency for cities bidding for an event to pay only lip service to environmental requirements, as there are few incentives to make them adhere to strict standards.
The use of water is a particular issue as it can pose a problem in regions facing droughts and scarcity. However, there are a number of innovative solutions such as rainwater harvesting and smart irrigation systems which can help minimize water usage at sporting events. Education campaigns can also be an effective way to raise awareness about responsible water usage amongst spectators.
Cultural Impact
Sport is a global stage for addressing differences among nations, often within a unified spirit of fair play and sportsmanship. This setting is particularly valuable in a society that has experienced internal social divisions or political conflict, as it can facilitate intergroup togetherness and reconciliation. Get your sports benefit from 해외스포츠중계.
Additionally, international sporting competitions are unique in that they offer a chance for countries to showcase their cultural heritage to a worldwide audience. This cultural impact can be felt not only in the form of economic benefits, but also through a boom in tourism and a sense of pride for participating athletes and their country.
Despite the large body of research on event impacts, only limited studies have addressed residents’ perceptions of events’ contributions to urban sustainable development. Moreover, most of these previous studies have focused on the effects of specific sporting events. This research inductively analyzed residents’ perceptions of the positive and negative impacts generated by a recurrent international sport event hosted in a post-war city seeking to recover from a history of segregation.