Julian Alaphilippe crowned world champion in Flanders. † © EPA-EFE
Organizing the cycling world championship is one thing, and winning something from it is two. The organizers of the 2021 World Cup in Leuven are convinced they have succeeded. They say so in a press release.
Jay Van Den Langenberg
The UCI Road Cycling World Championships in Flanders provided an economic boost of €27.4 million. “The host cities Knokke-Heist, Bruges, Antwerp and Leuven received 1 million unique visitors during the week of the World Cup, including more than 100,000 foreigners. Visitors to the World Cup stayed in Flanders for an average of 4.5 days, and in total, the World Cup provided a boost of 27.4 million Euro for the Flemish economy.But in addition to this economic return, reputation The social impact of the World Cup is enormous. This is evidenced by a number of new studies and reports on the impact of the World Cup. Filled streets and cliffs, spectators along the track and an incomparable atmosphere.”
economic return
But what did it result in? “The four host cities, Knokke-Heist, Bruges, Antwerp and Leuven together recorded 1.5 million visitors during the week of the event,” the report explains. “If we take into account the visitors who went to search in several cities, we arrive at more than 1 million unique visitors. 10% came from abroad, mainly from our neighboring countries, the Netherlands, France, the UK and Germany. 30% of them have never visited Flanders from before, but were pleasantly surprised by what our destination has to offer. 83% are also considering returning to Flanders. 90% of foreign visitors say they would recommend Flanders as a holiday destination for family, friends and acquaintances.”
Final verdict? “All visitors together spent just under 36 million euros during their stay in Flanders. The bulk of this spending went to accommodation, food and drink and transportation. In total, the World Cup provided a boost of 27.4 million euros in total value added in the Flemish economy.”
