Worlds deliver USD 1.2 million income for Mexico City in 2017

The Mexico City 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships and World Archery Congress, held in October, delivered over USD 1.2 million worth of tourism impact for the region and left a positive legacy for inhabitants according to the latest Global Sports Impact event study released by Sportcal.

Its analysis covers indicators including economic, tourism, media, sponsorship, sporting and social benefits of event hosting.

Marking the first time that World Archery’s blue riband event took place in Mexico and the Spanish-speaking Americas, opening up the sport to an emerging archery market and reiterating the global nature of the sport.

A total of 373 athletes from 58 nations competed in 10 medal events at Mexico City 2017; they were supported by 187 team officials and 166 local volunteers.

Over 84 hours of television coverage were measured, shown by 24 broadcasters across 105 nations. Exceptional domestic coverage in Mexico accounted for over 16 hours, including live coverage of the two finals days. The total cumulative audience for the event was measured to be 20.39 million, of which 30% came from China and 27% from Korea.

The event was supported by the government of Mexico City and title sponsor Hyundai, which delivered activation around the event in the form of Hyundai Archery Clinics, used by over 5,000 people of which half registered interest in further archery activities.

World Archery also donated USD 57,000, on behalf of the wider archery community, to aid relief efforts following the recent earthquake.

World Archery Secretary General Tom Dielen said: “World Archery is very proud to have hosted a successful and positive World Archery Championships in Mexico City, while this Olympic City was recovering from the damage and loss inflicted by the tragic earthquake in the autumn of 2017.”

“Often the value of sport goes beyond figures. The feedback from spectators attending the championships highlighted the positive impact the event had on the city’s inhabitants, and we are confident that this will translate into a lasting legacy for archery.”

Sportcal CEO Mike Laflin said: “This event became more than just the World Archery Championships; it became a symbol of how the city and the people of Mexico could continue in the face of extreme trauma. While the earthquake presented many challenges to World Archery and the hosts in the planning of this event, in the end, by working closely together, the 49th edition of the World Archery Championships was a great success.”

“Over 97% of attendees said they had a positive experience at the end, and 98% of visitors said that they had enjoyed Mexico. The event had strong media coverage and good social media engagement.”

“Above all, the World Championships provided a positive boost for the city. This Sportcal GSI Event Study has shown that sport is much more powerful than economic numbers or viewing figures; it is about sport’s ability to bring people together and to help them cope with adversity.”

The 2017 Hyundai World Archery Championships event study is available through Sportcal.