World rally championships 2009 and 2011: assessing the tourism value in Australia

The World Rally Championship (WRC) is an international event, staged in 12 different countries and attracting up to 225,000 spectators in some of its European stages. However, while WRC events provide opportunities for destinations around the world, there is a lack of empirical research on the impacts of these events on host communities, or their contribution to tourism. The purpose of this article is to provide a case study of the WRC stages held in Australia in 2009 and 2011. The study examines the event in terms of its perceived tourism value, its promotional value and the resultant opportunities for local business within the context of regional tourism in Australia. Issues for measuring the media value of events are discussed in relation to the two WRC events, along with implications for maximising local business and media opportunities. The analysis in this study has shown that the WRC does have the capacity to attract visitors, provide opportunities for local business and generate international media attention, but there are limits and restrictions to the efficacy of these outcomes.