A study of the 2019 Alpine and Biathlon World Championships in Jämtland, Sweden, published in the International Journal of Tourism Policy, is raising questions about how governments justify the substantial public investment required to host major sporting events, arguing that the widely invoked promise of “event legacy” remains too vague to deliver consistent, measurable results.
The research examines “legacy” as it is commonly used in policy and planning. In this context, legacy refers to the long-term benefits, such as the economic, social, and environmental impact, that host regions are expected to gain after an event concludes. These benefits might include increased tourism, improved infrastructure, stronger local businesses, enhanced community cohesion, and of course, increased awareness and participation in the activities associated with the event.
However, despite legacy often being an essential part of the application to host a major event, the IJTP study found that the term is often poorly defined and inconsistently applied. This makes it difficult to evaluate whether any of the purported benefits materialise or to put policies in place to ensure they do.
Using the World Championships initiative, known as WCR2019, as a case study, researchers analysed policy documents and interviewed stakeholders. The initiative was formally presented as a legacy programme intended to extend benefits beyond the immediate spectator and media attention. The event did foster collaboration, particularly between sporting organisations and the private sector; the study suggests that it fell short of delivering broader regional development outcomes. The research suggests that the main problem was a lack of clearly defined objectives, which makes measuring success difficult.
The researchers explain that the various issues they highlight are not unique to their case study but point to a broader structural problem with the concept of legacy itself. Legacy is often treated as something that will emerge organically after an event, but it doesn’t. There has to be a strategy in place to make it happen, and the researchers offer a framework that might help future planners ensure that there is more legacy than lip service in major sporting events.
Wallstam, M., Pettersson, R. and Ioannides, D. (2026) ‘Negotiating the legacy-leverage nexus: the contribution of major sports events to regional development’, Int. J. Tourism Policy, Vol. 16, No. 7, pp.1–16.
No comments:
Post a Comment