Stockholm mayor jumps at Eurovision chance

The mayor of Stockholm has jumped at the possibility of hosting next year’s Eurovision in Stockholm, claiming that the financial benefits are obvious for the entire local tourism industry.

• Loreen win gives Sweden Eurovision 'Euphoria' (27 May 12)
• Swedes sing praises of Eurovision winner Loreen (27 May 12)
• UK wildlife park animals catch ‘Euphoria’ fever (25 May 12)

When Eurovision-mania comes to town, it’s a lucrative possibility for both politicians and business people.

After Loreen’s victory on Sunday night, Stockholm’s mayor Sten Nordin made an effort to ensure the capital city would host the event in 2013.

“Welcome to Stockholm 2013,” he wrote in a press release, also noting that the city had reserved 3,000 hotel rooms “according to EBU’s prerequisites”, wrote the TT news agency.

“Our experience is that these types of events are profitable for the city’s tourism industry, especially in the long run. We’ve seen this with the Crown Princess’s wedding. People became curious about Stockholm after seeing pictures of the wedding and we’re still seeing the effects of it now,” said Nordin to TT.

While it’s difficult to say how much the event would earn for the city, research indicates that Stockholm pulled in 77 million kronor ($10.8 million) when the Globe theatre hosted Eurovision in 2000.

Comparatively, the tourist economic turnover after the royal wedding made some 713 million kronor for Stockholm.

While business professor Tommy D Andersson points to Norway’s winter Olympics in 1994 as an example of a financial disaster for the event organizers, he explained that sometimes the public can react positively nonetheless, which can make the event worthwhile.

“A politician's job is also about enhancing the population's quality of life and make sure people think that life’s fun in general,” he told TT.

TT/The Local/og
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