Sports and City Marketing in European Cities

In an increasingly globalizing and commercialising world, sport is now watched by many millions via satellite where once it would only have been seen by a few thousand on the terraces. This mass global audience is invited not only to watch the sporting event, but also to visit the city where it takes place. Such events thereby may well help to promote the host city as a tourist destination and business location. City governors are becoming increasingly aware of the possibilities of using sport as an instrument of reaching objectives of urban management. This book investigates the state of the art of sports and city marketing in five European cities: Rotterdam, Barcelona, Helsinki, Manchester and Turin. In each of these cities, the book examines how sports (accommodations, clubs and events) have been made an instrument of city marketing and how the cities have attempted to maximize their potential through sports and city marketing policies. It suggests that a co-operative approach between a wide range of interested parties is prerequisite to the effective use of sports in city marketing.