Denmark has a reputation of being a great cycling nation and destination. The latest 2019 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships add to this brand. A newly released impact analysis shows that Bogense, Fyn and Denmark benefitted strongly from the event. The investment in the Championships brought thousands of visitors to Bogense, alongside competitors from 24 nations, media and officials, while showcasing both Bogense and Denmark to an international audience.
In addition to providing one of the sport’s great spectacles, the 2019 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships drove economic and broader impacts within the island of Fyn and Denmark. The analysis made by Ernst & Young focuses on the following aspects:
• Visitors to Bogense
• Media and teams
• The economic contribution of the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships
• Event engagement
In total, visiting spectators to Bogense spent €2.7m during their stay, and the event had a positive impact on encouraging future visitors to Bogense and the surrounding region Fyn, with 83% of visitors from areas of Denmark outside of Bogense suggesting they would be likely or very likely to return for a holiday.
Altogether Ernst & Young calculated that the Championships will add a value of €3,6m to the regional economy.
– We got very nice figures on the event’s impact and together with Nordfyns Erhverv og Turisme, Sport Event Denmark and the Danish Cycling Federation we are pleased to see that the entire island of Fyn benefited from the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. The vast majority of the tourism economy is generated by spectators, and the daily consumption was relatively high because most of them stayed in one of our hotels or holiday apartments, says Jakob Staun, head of events at Destination Fyn, a cluster organisation that brings together more than 180 companies, organisations and institutions working within tourism on the island.
In addition to the hardcore economic impact, Denmark, Fyn and Bogense got huge visibility internationally through media coverage. 296 media staff covered the UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships. According to Nielsen Sports, TV was broadcasted to 51 million viewers in 76 countries. Moreover, the event generated high activity on social media like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
– The Championships promoted Cyclo-cross within Denmark in a good manner. From 2016 to 2018, there has been a 35% increase in the number of licenses, so it is quite clear that the significant and positive attention has left its mark. There is no doubt that in the coming years we will harvest from the world-class event staged in Denmark. It is an event that we not only have to be proud of as a host nation, but which we must continue to use actively within Danish cycling, says Henrik Jess Jensen, chairman of the Danish Cycling Federation.
UCI President David Lappartient stated: “In line with cycling’s Agenda 2022, legacy is a cornerstone of our strategy towards event’s organisers. Findings from the EY survey following the staging of the 2019 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships are a clear confirmation that world-class events provide significant and long-lasting return on investment not only for the local business community but also for the growth of our disciplines and the well-being of populations through the practice of the bicycle. I would like to thank the Danish Cycling Federation and all parties involved in the successful delivery of these landmark Championships.”
Contact:
For Sport Event Denmark
Eline Andersen
Senior communication manager
+4551225385
For the UCI
Louis Chenaille
UCI Press Officer
+41 79 198 7047
Louis.Chenaille@uci.ch