The Varvet week contributes hundreds of millions of kronor to the community
The tourism economic turnover increased by SEK 215 million, the total tax effect was over SEK 100 million and the public health effects are valued at SEK 460 million. This is shown by Upplevelseinstitutet’s evaluation of the Varvet Week 2023.
“These are fantastic figures on the major effects on the tourism industry and public health that the Varvet Week contributes to and it shows that the hard work we put in is worth so much to so many,” says Eva-Lena Frick, head of the Gothenburg Athletics Association.
The fact that the Gothenburg Half Marathon means a lot to Gothenburg is nothing new. The engagement among the city's residents is significant, and last year, for example, more than a quarter of the population followed one of the races during the Varvet Week as spectators for at least 15 minutes, according to a survey conducted by the Institute of Experience.
The purpose of the survey has been, among other things, to measure the societal value of the Varvet Week but also to specifically measure what the event means for public health. Participants, spectators, partners, and residents of Gothenburg have participated.
"Gothenburg Half Marathon and its associated races generate an immense amount for society, both economically for the associations but also for the city and the region in terms of tourism and increased consumption. But above all, the survey also shows the positive effects it has on public health. All in all, it can be said that the Gothenburg Half Marathon is a healthy investment for the entire society," says Eva-Lena Frick, CEO of the Gothenburg Athletics Association.
The survey conducted by the Institute of Experience shows that the tourist economic turnover increased by SEK 215.7 million during the Varvet Week last year. This corresponds to a total tax effect of approximately SEK 108 million, of which SEK 101 million went to the Gothenburg municipality.
Even more appreciated are the expected public health effects from the Varvet Week and the coming twelve months, according to the study conducted by the Institute of Experience in collaboration with the Sports Economics Center in Lund (IEC). The calculations of the different effects have been made through the healthcare costs that exist in Sweden every year, the costs for the Social Insurance Agency, and the work attendance contributing to GDP.
The result of the participants' training means that the effects per individual can be translated into approximately one less day at the health center per year, one less day of sick leave per year, and thus one more day of work per year. Just that means a total of approximately SEK 110 million less in healthcare costs and approximately SEK 70 million less in costs to the Social Insurance Agency. The GDP addition is estimated at approximately SEK 280 million.
The entire report from the Institute of Experience is available to read here.
PARTICIPANTS VARVET WEEK 2023
• 61,808 people were registered for one of the races, of whom 80 percent came to the start (49,212).
• Of those starting, 68 percent (about 33,500) came from municipalities other than Gothenburg.
• The average tourist came in a travel group of 3.7 people, of whom 2.5 participated in one of the races and 1.2 were accompanying.
• 34 percent of tourists stayed commercially, 21 percent stayed non-commercially, and 45 percent did not stay overnight in Gothenburg.
• The average day visitor spent about SEK 315, while overnight guests spent about SEK 1,591 per day on accommodation, restaurants, shopping, and souvenirs.
SPECTATORS VARVET WEEK 2023
• 55 percent of the spectators who did not participate themselves in any race commuted for the day, 28 percent stayed overnight commercially, and 17 percent stayed non-commercially.
• Overnight tourists stayed in the Gothenburg region on average 2.4 days and 1.7 nights, while day visitors spent an average of 1.2 days at the event.
• The average day visitor spent about SEK 355, while overnight guests spent about SEK 1,548 per day on accommodation, restaurants, shopping, and souvenirs.
• 72 percent of the spectators who did not participate themselves in the race traveled to Gothenburg by car, 23 percent by train, 9 percent by bus, and 2 percent by plane.
PARTNERS VARVET WEEK 2023
• Partners of the Gothenburg Half Marathon had access to about 2,900 starting positions out of the 49,212 who came to the start. 18 percent (about 530) of these were tourists, the rest residing in the Gothenburg municipality. Partners spent about 3.7 million kronor on staff and guests, of which about 666,000 kronor on tourists.
TOURIST ECONOMIC TURNOVER
• Approximately 271,000 people were part of the Varvet Week 2023, of whom 49,212 participated in one of the races and about 234,000 were spectators (about 12,000 people were included in both groups).
• About 61 percent of (about 165,000) came from Gothenburg, while about 39 percent (about 106,000) were tourists.
• Tourists generated approximately SEK 215.7 million during their stay, of which SEK 202 million were generated within the Gothenburg municipality and approximately SEK 13.7 million in surrounding municipalities.
• The specific tourist industry amounted to approximately SEK 208.4 million.
• The tax effect on the SEK 215.7 million generated in connection with the Varvet Week was SEK 108 million, of which SEK 101 million went to the Gothenburg municipality. Of these SEK 101 million, about SEK 36 million went to the state (mainly VAT), SEK 22 million to regional tax, and SEK 43 million in municipal tax.
PUBLIC HEALTH
• Among the starting participants, the public health effects are valued at 318 million kronor through reduced healthcare costs (73 million kronor), reduced costs to the Social Insurance Agency (SEK 49 million), and reduced work absenteeism and GDP contributions (SEK 196 million).
• Among the registered but non-starting participants, the public health effects are valued at SEK 78 million through reduced healthcare costs (SEK 16 million), reduced costs to the Social Insurance Agency (SEK 13 million), and reduced work absenteeism and GDP contributions (SEK 49 million).
• Among the spectators, the public health effects are valued at 64 million kronor through reduced healthcare costs (SEK 21 million), reduced costs to the Social Insurance Agency (SEK 8 million), and reduced work absenteeism and GDP contributions (SEK 35 million).
2024-03-04