Every four years, the World Cup gives a particular country (or countries) the chance to shine in front of a massive global TV audience. The coverage doesn't come for free. It costs billion of dollars to stage a tournament and not everyone thinks it is worth it.
Those in favour — especially governing body FIFA — tend to point to the positive economic impact and the boost in tourism. The evidence is largely inconclusive and a lot depends on the standing of the country hosting the tournament.
For France in 1998, the tourism impact was negligible, perhaps because it was already the number one destination for international arrivals. In Germany, eight years later, the story was a little different with one study pointing to an additional $900 million in net tourism income.
This year's host country, Russia, already faces an uphill task. Fewer fans have travelled this time around with a 26 percent drop in ticket sales compared with the last tournament in Brazil.
Part of this probably relates to the perceived hassle of traveling to and around the country, as well as expensive accommodation. Then there's the other stuff, including the alleged assassinations and election meddling. If the World Cup goes well, Russia might want to think about making things easier by permanently relaxing visa rules, Whether that's enough to make Russia an attractive destination long term is another thing.
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