Global Sport Tourism and The Lure of Mega-Events

This chapter discusses the role and significance of mega-events for the global tourism economy. It highlights how bidding for sport mega-events by nations has been promoted as an opportunity for generating a variety of legacies, from short-term tourism boosts to longer-term tangible infrastructure and facility investments, and even to enhancing international reputation and brand image. From a theoretical perspective, the chapter clarifies the understanding of legacy and the types of legacies that can be expected from hosting sport mega-events, while it also sets out a number of practical recommendations for the sport tourism industry in order to leverage and sustain these legacies. The chapter uses many examples from the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It also explores the experiences and lessons learnt by South African stakeholders from hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup, based on empirical investigations conducted by the authors. While highlighting the value of mega-events, it questions the costs at which legacies are achieved and whether other event types could be successful in achieving the same benefits.