New Zealand received a net economic benefit of 67.87 million dollars (62 million euros) for co-hosting the Women’s World Cup in Australia earlier this year, according to a government impact assessment report released on Friday. The report said 27,000 people visited the country during the tournament from June 20 to July 20 and spent more than NZ$80 million on accommodation, food, transport and shopping.
Despite being known for their rugby enthusiasm, New Zealanders have also embraced the tournament with more than 740,000 tickets issued for the 29 matches held in Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton and Dunedin.
Although ticket sales were slow for some of the matches and FIFA gave away thousands of tickets, the attendance record for a national football match was broken three times at Auckland’s Eden Park. In total, the country received NZ$1.34 for every dollar invested in the tournament, the report said, and the total economic benefit was more than double what the government expected.
“This is the biggest and most successful women’s sporting event of all time, exceeding expectations on and off the field,” said Kylie Hawker-Green, Major Events Manager at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. “It has captured the hearts of the nation, elevated women’s football and sport in general, while cementing New Zealand’s global reputation as an outstanding host of major events.”
The tournament has generated more than $570 million for FIFA, allowing the world governing body to break even with a substantial increase in prize money.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
