Economic Benefit Evaluation of the Host City of the Race: A Study on the Driving Mechanism of the Tour de France on Local Tourism and Consumption

Abstract

The Tour de France, as one of the most influential events in the world, plays a crucial role in the economic and social development of its host cities. The purpose of this study is to analyze the driving mechanism of the Tour de France on local tourism and consumption, and thereby draw conclusions and put forward relevant suggestions. This paper conducts research from three dimensions: direct economic effects, indirect spillover effects and regional heterogeneity by selecting typical stage cases and combining input-output analysis, consumption structure decomposition and multi-level regression models. The results show that during the event, it can bring direct economic benefits of 20 to 50 million euros to the host city in the short term, among which accommodation, catering and retail account for more than 75%. In the long term, the brand value and tourism appeal of the destination will be significantly enhanced through global media exposure (with an annual audience of over 3.5 billion people) and infrastructure upgrades. Major tourism towns rely on “events + cultural heritage” to achieve continuous traffic diversion, while rural areas activate characteristic business forms and make up for the shortcomings during the off-season through exposure. This study constructed a linkage mechanism model of “events - tourism - consumption”, providing theoretical basis and practical reference for the economic assessment of mobile events and local event hosting strategies.