Can mega events like the FIFA World Cup leave destinations stronger for the long term?
The FIFA World Cup is about to kick off, with 48 countries battling it out for the trophy, billions of people expected to tune in and almost two million watching the matches in-person. As host cities prepare for this huge influx of visitors, the tournament offers a powerful example of both the opportunities and pressures that come with sudden spikes in tourism demand, and what destinations can learn from managing them.
The world cup’s big carbon footprint
For the first time, three countries – the US, Canada and Mexico – are co-hosting the tournament, creating a significant logistical challenge with expected destination pressures and stresses due to large visitor numbers at stadia and fan centres. With 16 host cities spread across a vast geographical area, the event’s carbon footprint is expected to be one of the largest in the tournament’s history. To help mitigate this, hybrid vehicles, public transport, walking and cycling are being encouraged, alongside large-scale tree planting initiatives. However, these actions will go little way to mitigating the carbon emissions from transport by fans and athletes to and from the tournament, often generated by long haul travel. It is unlikely that many sports fans will also look to offset their emissions or invest in sustainable aviation fuel or direct carbon capture through schemes like Tomorrow’s Air.
Climate emissions from transport to and from destinations account for the majority of tourism-related emissions and represent a challenge facing the entire tourism sector. Mega-events such as the World Cup bring that reality sharply into focus. They create an opportunity to test new approaches, including encouraging visitors to stay longer, travel differently and spread benefits more widely across local communities. Events such as this are also an opportunity to highlight the urgent need to accelerate the broader transition to lower-emission travel systems.
Despite reports of excessively high-ticket prices and strict visa entry requirements, sports fans will start descending on host cities to enjoy the festivities. Organisers will be hoping the celebrations and matches pass off peacefully. All eyes will be on FIFA to deliver another successful event.
The power of fandom to stress test destination systems
When you concentrate hundreds of thousands of travellers around a set of predictable stress points, you can either react or design.
Jeremy Sampson, Travel Forward CEO
Fandom is a real driver of tourism demand. Data from Priority Pass (Collinson) shows that 20% of people surveyed across 20 markets travel for sports, and one third for sports and wellness. Fans are also more likely to travel off-season, depending on tournament timings, and to spend longer in the destination, leading to higher spend per visitor as they enjoy the local culture and hospitality.
Jeremy Sampson, CEO of Travel Forward and a Washington State resident (where Seattle is hosting six matches) goes onto explain, “Like other mega-events, the FIFA World Cup is a pressure test for destination systems. When you concentrate hundreds of thousands of travellers around a set of predictable stress points, you can either react or design. The best host cities are already working with private sector partners to nudge better choices at exactly the right decision moment: take the shuttle instead of driving, eat at the neighbourhood restaurant two streets from the fan zone, arrive on Tuesday not Saturday. That’s how sport becomes a lever for lasting change, not just a spike in the data.”
Sport driving tourism multiplier effects
Given its proximity to host state Washington, Oregon, also known as Soccer City, offers a strong example of how destinations can promote more sustainable travel behaviours while supporting local and Indigenous communities. Visitors are encouraged to explore the region through activities such as cycling the 18 Oregon Scenic Bikeways, with Oregon having become the first state to develop a state-wide scenic bikeway programme. The local economic and social impact of cycling tourism is significant: cycling visitors spend 20% more than average, the segment is valued at USD1.2 billion, and it supports 4,600 jobs. As the first state to create these trails for cycling, the approach has been deliberately bottom-up. According to Todd Starnes at Bicycle Adventures, a local tour operator, it is important to take a holistic view, combining bikes, beer and coffee to help create the perfect trails so that the maximum spend benefits local communities and businesses.
One appealing low-carbon option in Oregon is the Sasquatch Shuttle to Multnomah Falls, which offers an accessible and pet-friendly alternative to driving. An important factor in Oregon’s success is its proactive approach to equitable tourism, including the collection and analysis of resident sentiment. The latest findings show that local residents value tourism and believe it delivers more benefits than drawbacks.
Delivering a lasting legacy beyond economic impact
The value of the global sports economy is impressive, with World Economic Forum and Oliver Wyman research forecasting it will reach USD3.7 trillion by 2030, growing at around 10% per year. Of that, USD672 billion is expected to come from sports tourism in 2025. Adventure travel, which has strong synergies with sports tourism, particularly active adventure such as hiking, mountaineering, cycling and rafting, can also deliver more equitable returns for destinations. ATTA reports that 75% of trip spend goes to local suppliers, while its broader market research shows that 67% of international travellers are open to adventure in one form or another.
As with all mega-events, the true balance of costs and benefits will not be known until the last visitor has left and the impacts can be measured, not only in tourism dollars or carbon emissions, but also in terms of social and cultural legacy.
Jeremy Sampson concludes, “Mega-events are a test of whether the tourism sector can move from aspiration to action. The cities that get this right won’t just manage the World Cup; they’ll provide concrete examples for every major event that follows.”
That would be a legacy to be proud of, one that could shape how future mega-events are delivered in a sustainable way, including the World Cup centenary in 2030.
