An Exploration of the Direct Economic Impacts From Business Travelers at World Championships

Business travelers visiting events have received limited attention from researchers compared with the attention paid to leisure travelers. In this study, economic impacts from various categories of visitors at various sporting events are compared with a specific focus on differences between business travelers and leisure travelers in terms of numbers and economic impacts. The article is based on empirical data from four different world championships in Nordic Ski, Ice Hockey, Judo, and Indoor Climbing. In terms of numbers, leisure travelers clearly outnumber business travelers whereas in terms of economic impacts business travelers are often equally important. These results indicate that particular efforts to describe business travelers may be needed in economic impact studies.