The Rally of Portugalwhich started on Friday and will run until May 12, It has become the most profitable sporting event in the countrybecause, with an investment of 4 million euros, it represents a return of 164 million and attracts 1.2 million tourists.
“More than 200,000 fans came from Spain,” Carlos Barbosa, president of the Automobile Club of Portugal, the organizing entity of the WRC (World Rally Championship), said in an interview with EFE.
And Spain, like Portugal, is a country “with a lot of passion for motorcycles and rallying,” Barbosa said.
This test, with more than half a century of history and the oldest in Europe in land mode, It is also the closest option for Spaniards if they want to enjoy motorsports, as the legendary Catalunya Rally has not been held in Spain for many years., the only one included in the WRC. An economic injection for the interior of Portugal
Thanks to this rally, the areas of the Portuguese interior, where the economy is weaker compared to the big cities of Porto and Lisbon, “received a strong economic injection,” argued Barbosa, given that the thousands thousands of fans spend a lot of money in restaurants. , accommodation, tolls and all kinds of services.
Added to this is that at a time of the year when the tourist season is low, many hires are encouraged.
The main sponsor, Vodafone, together with the public entities of the Tourism Center and Tourism North of Portugal and the Town Councils where the rally takes place are in charge of paying for the sponsorship, which represents an investment of 4 million euros.
Even the Automobile Club of Portugal invests 300,000 euros per year in a rally that, for Barbosa, “is part of Portugal’s DNA.” From chaos to global example
Until 2007, the president of the organization recalled, the Rally of Portugal could present a certain image of excitement, with fans everywhere. However, over the past 18 years, he has ensured that this has changed and that Rally Portugal is the example to follow.
“We innovate and we are an example in security” he explained.
In that sense, they created safe areas, monitored by the police and with safety margins, so that the public could enjoy “in situ” watching their idols pass by with good visibility.
“We used to be crazy, now we are the reference“said the organizer, who added that it makes it possible for more than a million people to enjoy the rally in timed sections every year. Televisions from 156 countries
The televisions that broadcast the entire Rally of Portugal live also play a relevant role, as they “project a good image of the country”, which translates into thousands of tourists for rest of the year.
For this edition, the test can be followed live on television in 156 countries: “we can be sure that every visitor who comes to witness the rally will return again on average 1.5 times,” said the person in charge.
Carlos Barbosa emphasizes that this test is always a great attraction for the main drivers, so the competitive spirit is also guaranteed.
Until Sunday, 1,200 people from different teams, another 3,000 operators associated with different ‘Teams’ of the rally and more than 600 police officers will ensure that this 57th edition is will once again make Portugal the motor center of the world.
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.
