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Wellington (Reuters) – New Zealand’s co-hosting of the Women’s World Cup with Australia earlier this year resulted in a net economic benefit of NZ$109.5 million ($67.87 million), according to a government impact evaluation report released on Friday.
The report stated that 27,000 people visited the country during the tournament from June 20 to July 20 and spent more than NZ$80 million on accommodation, meals, transport, and shopping.
Despite being more well-known for their enthusiasm for rugby, New Zealanders also embraced the tournament with over 740,000 tickets issued for the 29 matches held in Auckland, Wellington, Hamilton, and Dunedin.
While ticket sales were slow for some matches and FIFA gave away thousands of tickets, the record for a crowd for a football match in the country was exceeded three times at Auckland’s Eden Park.
In total, the report said that the country received NZ$1.34 for every dollar invested in the tournament, and the total economic benefit was more than double what the government had anticipated.
“It was the largest and most successful women’s sporting event ever, exceeding expectations on and off the field,” said Kylie Hawker-Green, Major Events Manager at the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
“It captured the hearts of the nation, elevated women’s football and sport more generally while cementing New Zealand’s global reputation as an exceptional major event host.”
The tournament generated over $570 million for FIFA, allowing the global governing body to break even despite a significant increase in prize money.
($1 = 1.6134 New Zealand dollars)
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
