Title: Individual support for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in the Rhine-Ruhr area

Authors: John A. Menge; Christoph Bühren; Torsten Schlesinger

Addresses: Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Gesundheitscampus-Nord 10, 44801 Bochum, Germany ' Department of Sport Management, Faculty of Sport Science, Ruhr University Bochum, Gesundheitscampus-Nord 10, 44801 Bochum, Germany ' Department of Human Movement Science, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz University of Technology, Thüringer Weg 11, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany

Abstract: We analyse the economic sustainability and public support for hosting the 2036 Olympic Games in the Rhine-Ruhr area. While previous studies have used willingness to pay (WTP) proxies based on additional tax payments or voluntary donations, this study uses a new approach based on taxes already paid. It builds on the idea that the respondents do not make additional payments. This novel form of asking individuals' WTP should mitigate the pain of paying bias. Our findings reveal that 62% of 1,594 respondents in the 14 potential hosting municipalities support hosting the games. Their average individual WTP is 235.2 from taxes already paid. Consumption capital, socioeconomic, tangible, and intangible factors are associated with WTP.

Keywords: Olympic Games; willingness to pay; WTP; intangible effects; pain of paying; contingent valuation method; CVM; mega events.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2024.143679

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2024 Vol.24 No.5/6, pp.425 - 451

Received: 15 Aug 2023
Accepted: 22 Jul 2024
Published online: 03 Jan 2025 *

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