Controversy over Tour numbers: – Right on the nose
VEJLE (VG) Fantastic TV pictures and a huge party in spite of: The Tour de France will not be an economic goldmine for Denmark. And the number of TV viewers is far lower than what was loved in 2019.
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This is according to Danish researchers who have studied the economics of 107 Tour regions around Europe all the way back to 2004.
– The study refutes at the Tour de France is an economic goldmine for the local host cities. The effects, whether they are positive or negative, are marginal, says Christian Gjersing Nielsen at the Sports Analysis Institute to VG.
I study he has put on value creation in trade, transport, hotels and restaurants and compared this year where the same regions do not host the Tour de France.
– It is no change, says Nielsen.
This is in stark contrast to the euphoria that prevailed in 2019, when Denmark was awarded three stages in the Tour de France. At the time, VisitDenmark talked about how a former Tour city had been given PR time accordingly 3.3 billion Danish kroner – before admitting that the number was too high.
The Minister of Trade and Industry said at the Tour de France would be one gold mine.
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– But it also has a value to gather a nation and arrange a common party?
– I agree with that. Holding large sporting events is not good business. But there is an argument in creating a party. But the price of the party is crucial, says Gjersing Nielsen.
VG has confronted the organizing company Grand Depart Copenhagen Denmark with the scheme. A spokesperson writes that the start of the Tour must be a folk festival, but also contribute to a valuable exposure of Denmark – with varying effects.
The intention is also to strengthen Denmark as a cycling country.
– The wood is not only tourism and branding, but also soft values. It is a great value in local pride. Pride about the Danish cycling joy, we notice a great beginning for, across the project owners, the writing company.
As VG wrote on Fridaythree days with the Tour de France costs the Danish public a quarter of a billion kroner.
Three years ago, the price tag was only half when politicians were to sell the Tour application to the public. Among other things, the use of money was often defended by the fact that the race has 3.5 billion viewers.
But that’s wrong.
Sports economist Daam Van Reeth at the University of Leuven is behind it research which indicates that the number is between 40 and 50 million unique people if you look at the race as a whole.
On some taps, the number is often between 10 and 20 million people.
The Danish company that arranges the Tour de France this weekend writes to VG that it was a former Minister of Trade and Industry who by mistake used the figure 3.5 billion on one occasion.
But the Minister of Trade and Industry was not alone at all.
The figure of 3.5 billion has been used numerous times, also in public information for the Danish press. Politics has shown how the mistake has been repeated 17 times also after kl the organizer became aware of the error.
– That 3.5 billion people allegedly follow the Tour de France is a crazy number. It really is completely on the snout. The figures from Daam Van Reeth indicate that a maximum of 25 million see the most popular stages, says researcher Rasmus Storm at the Sports Research Institute to VG.
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In Denmark, however, the folk festival is an undisputed fact: Enormous crowds have followed the French three-week race in the first days on Skjælland, Fyn and today south of Jutland.
– I have many cycling colleagues who have ridden many Tour de France, who have come and told me that they have never experienced anything like this, so Danish Michael Mørkøv after Saturday’s stage.