Do major sport events enhance tourism destinations?

A growing number of tourism destinations (e.g. post-industrial cities, rural areas, developing countries, etc.) are utilizing sport events as a strategic tool for revitalizing and re-qualifying themselves. The aim of this paper is to explore the value of sport events in enhancing the “quality” (in terms of image, tourist attractiveness, quality of life, etc.) of a tourism place at a local, national or international level. This assessment is based on a case study analysis regarding the effects of sport initiatives adopted by a number of cities and countries in Italy, Europe and worldwide. The findings suggests that sport events depending on government goals, set of local resources and capabilities, cultural and social context, stage of development of tourism within a specific area, etc., can have different implications for host destinations: from fostering an economic and social urban “regeneration”, to putting a city on a worldwide tourist map, or even changing the unequal participation of a country in a global economy.