Data from event organisers found the economic benefits were more than 10 times the budget of £350,000 committed by Stirling Council to the event, a meeting of the Finance, Economy and Corporate Support Committee was told on Thursday, 11 April.
Event organisers initially advised Stirling Council to expect an additional 20,000-25,000 visitors to the city for the Individual Time Trials over three days from 9-11 August 2023.
Spend
However, three times as many visitors – 74,935 people – were recorded in Stirling than the week before (192,000 against 117,000), with the city welcoming almost 80,000 people on the final day, Friday 11 August, alone.
The latest figures come after a report from Ernst and Young found the overall event, which saw 13 world championships contested across seven events, realised a total spend across Scotland of £220 million.
It was hailed as the biggest cycling event ever and data for Stirling also found:
- The UCI athlete family stayed for more than 1,000 bed nights in Stirling at an average cost of £106 per night, with a daily spend on non-accommodation recorded at £52.60 each day
- More than 2,000 hours of action from the Individual Time Trials was broadcast worldwide, showcasing Stirling to a global audience of almost 50 million
- Including the road races – three of which passed through the local area – Stirling featured in almost 5,000 hours of broadcast and a cumulative television audience of almost 140 million
- Stirling-focused content on the Cycling World Championships’ social media channels had a global reach of 70.9 million
As part of a legacy building project, there were a range of community programmes launched before, during and after the UCI Cycling World Championships involving communities in areas such as Killin, the Trossachs, Raploch, Bannockburn, Cowie, Fallin and Throsk.
Councillors also heard a summer cycling and outdoor adventure campaign will be launched by the Council this summer to take advantage of the feelgood factor from the event and promote cycling tourism, worth £300 million to the Scottish economy, in the Stirling area.
Convener of the Finance, Economy and Corporate Support Committee, Cllr Chris Kane, said:
“Stirling was a proud host of the UCI Cycling World Championships and the success of the Individual Time Trials and road races helped further our reputation as a world class sporting and events destination.
“Not only did 75,000 additional visitors create a fantastic atmosphere and boost the local economy by £4.5 million, our stunning scenery and iconic landmarks were showcased to a global audience, hopefully to the benefit of our tourist industry.
Buzz
“This was the biggest sporting event ever held in Stirling and our vibrant local communities came out in great numbers to support it and welcome visitors from all over the world.
“Organising an event of such scale and complexity also came with challenges and the learnings will be implemented for the delivery of future major events in the Stirling area.
“As we celebrate our 900th anniversary, we look forward to creating a similar buzz on our streets in the months ahead, including the Summer Sessions at Stirling City Park in June and July.”
*The UCI Cycling World Championships used various Economic Impact Assessment models to conclude that the event generated a Gross Economic Activity of around £4.5 million to Stirling Council and generated 44 Full Time Equivalent jobs supported.
This was achieved by using the data received from the completed spectator responses submitted to Ernst and Young, athletes’ survey, information from the Event Delivery Partner and past events.
Event impact study showcases 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships success | Stirling Council