BRINGING more big ticket sporting events to the capital would provide a multi-million euro boost to the Irish economy, the Dublin Chamber of Commerce has stated.
The Chamber recently published the results of an independent survey which found that travelling fans spent a whopping
?¬11.5m here during the Six Nations Ireland versus England rugby game in March this year.
The study, carried out on Dublin Chamber’s behalf by UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School, estimates that the match added
?¬21.3m in total to the economy.
According to Dublin Chamber CEO Gina Quin:
“The findings of our study show the value of hosting large sporting events to the economy.
“If one match between Ireland and England is worth
?¬21.3m, this offers an indication of how much the country could benefit from staging future events such as the 2023 Rugby World Cup and European Soccer Championship matches in 2020.
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Ms Quin explained that similar to exports, large sporting events, and also concert tourism, have the capacity to generate growth in Ireland’s economy.
“Big sporting events do wonders for the Irish brand and help to put Dublin and Ireland in the shop window for tourists around the world,
? she added.
“The country’s hospitality sector relies on major events and a strong events programme
is key to growing tourism numbers.
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Dublin Chamber said that the aim for Ireland should be to have a year-round schedule of events that would provide a regular flow of visitors from overseas.
Ms Quin added:
“A 12-month diary of events would include big sporting events, arts festivals, concerts and exhibitions. Lots of great events take place already, but the challenge is to ensure that events are spread throughout the year.
“A year-round schedule will help to maintain and increase job numbers in the services sector. A lot of events take place in Dublin each year, but there remain large gaps in the calendar when nothing big happens. The lack of a major festival in Dublin during the summer months, when attention is focused on other places such as Galway, Tralee and Kilkenny, is a missed opportunity for the city.
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Other findings of the survey reveal that an estimated 15,000 out-of-state visitors attended the Ireland versus England rugby game in the Aviva Stadium on March 1.
On average, game attendees spend
?¬764 per person during their trip to Dublin. Visitor spend contributed to the equivalent of nearly 200 jobs over the course of a year.