The IRFU is attributing a value to the Dublin economy of €60 million from its hosting of the Guinness Series of internationals this month.
The third game against New Zealand is sold out and the Australia game is expected to be so shortly. Authorities are also expecting a crowd of 40,000 for the opening match against Samoa this weekend.
Ticket prices have been staggered for the three matches with Category 2 prices at €25 for the Samoa match, €50 for the Australian on November 16th, and €75 for the finale against New Zealand on Sunday November 24th.
The economic value figure is based on a solid piece of research from UCD around the value of Six Nations Matches. This was published in 2009 by the Smurfit Business School who calculated that overseas match going visitors spent a total of €882.25, non match going visitors who accompanied them or just travelled to be part of the occasion spent even more at a level of €933.83 and home supporters, travelling from across the country would add an extra €299.21 a head.
There will be a sizeable number of Australian and New Zealand fans travelling from across the UK and Ireland but the figure of €60 million takes account of the fact that they will be fewer than would be the case for a Six Nations game.
“We examined the likely economic impact of 140,000 match goers and 300,000 who would not be attending but who would be looking to make a night of it and watch the matches in a pub or hotel,” said IRFU Communications Director Stephen McNamara.
“While a single Six Nations game would account for as much as €50 million of value this does factor in that the audience this month will be mostly wearing green.”
A small number of tickets are still available for the Sport for Business Sports Tourism Seminar at Croke Park on Thursday morning. To see the agenda and secure your place click here.
The games are scheduled at optimum times for increasing spend from international as well as domestic sports tourists with two Saturday evening and one Sunday afternoon kick off.
The main impact is in the obvious areas of food and drink, which takes up around sixty per cent of the spend; Accommodation and transport split the lions share of the balance on a regular sporting tourism weekend.
Global estimates show that sports tourism accounts for roughly 10% of the international tourism market, which is reported at €440 billion. In Ireland, as part of The Gathering 2013, sporting events have represented 20% of the planned ‘Gatherings’.
The impact is felt on the jobs front as well with the international weekends contributing to an estimated 800 full-time jobs and a further 1,700 part-time jobs on a match weekend.
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