By David Owen
April 10 – Switzerland’s status as the prime global location for International Sports Organisations (ISOs), such as Zurich-based FIFA and Nyon-based UEFA, brings substantial economic benefits, according to a new study.
The study on the economic significance of ISOs in the Alpine nation known for its banks, timepieces and neutrality, values sports bodies’ overall impact on the Swiss economy at SFr1.07 billion a year (SFr1 = $1.02).
Conducted by the Lausanne-based International Academy of Sports Science and Technology (AISTS) and based on data covering the 2008-13 period, the study indicates that the Swiss canton of Vaud captures SFr550 million, or more than half of the overall stimulus, with the Olympic capital of Lausanne benefiting to the tune of SFr 250 million.
FIFA is responsible for a big chunk of the positive impact of ISOs outside Vaud.
The document – which was commissioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the city of Lausanne and the canton of Vaud and can be downloaded here: http://www.aists.org/impactstudy – reaches the conclusion that every SFr1 spent by ISOs in Switzerland creates SFr1.55 for the Swiss economy.
In 2013, the 45 ISOs surveyed employed more than 2,000 individuals, with close to 65% of these working either for the IOC or football bodies FIFA and UEFA.
According to the study, ISOs attract more than 32,000 overnight business visits per year, generating an estimated SFr19 million annually.
ISOs spent SFr206 million on construction work in the six-year period covered, producing an overall economic impact in the sector put at SFr366 million.
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