Vasaloppets winter week 2014 is fully booked and is expected to attract more visitors than ever before. A recently compiled research inquiry shows that the fully 70,000 participants and their followers who came to last year’s winter week spent over 192 million SEK during their visit to the three Vasalopps municipalities Malung-Sälen, Mora and Älvdalen. Together with the summer events, Vasaloppets various races give an annual tourism-related economic effect of over a quarter billion SEK.

This measurement has been undertaken by the inquiry company Rubin Research and applies to the period 22 February to 3 March 2013. Consideration has been given to direct consumption in the three municipalities. Neither Vasaloppets participant fees nor sponsor revenues are included in the research inquiry. And training camps are not included either.

“These figures show that Vasaloppet is not only an engine for the sports movement and public health in Sweden but also for our regional trade and commerce. It is incredibly cheering that all the efforts from the local population, politicians and commercial life give so very much back. Our ambition is to continue contributing to a positive regional development; now that we have an established all year round operation we can undoubtedly get even more to dare to get involved and create and expand what is on offer along the Arena”, says Vasaloppet’s CEO, Anders Selling.

Participants, including their companions, who visited the three Vasalopps municipalities Malung-Sälen, Mora och Älvdalen in connection with the winter week spent in total about 192 million SEK during their stay. The total gross turnover has increased by 67 percent since the first inquiry in 2009. Earlier inquiries show that the corresponding total for the 2012 summer week arrangements reached about 60 million SEK and together the annual tourism-related sales effect from Vasaloppets arrangements is consequently over 252 million SEK (the consumption of local participants and public not included).

Some extracts from the inquiry:

• The participants and their followers who came to last year’s winter week spent over 192 million SEK during their visit to the three Vasaloppet municipalities Malung-Sälen, Mora and Älvdalen.

• Breaking up the turnover for the 2013 winter week into various geographical target groups one sees that “the rest of Sweden” (i.e. not local inhabitants) have the lion’s share with 164.4 million SEK, the Norwegian guests account for 9.6 million SEK and other international guests for 18.1 million SEK.
  
  
• Participants stayed on average three days and two nights in the region, while that part of the public who travelled to the events out of sheer interest, without participating themselves and not as a companion or associate to a participant, on average stayed 4.7 days and 4.5 nights in the region.
  
  
• In total the average respondent consumed about 738 SEK per person and day, over and above accommodation costs. The same figure for 2011 was 660 SEK and since 2009 the personal consumption figure has increased by over 60 percent.
  
  
• 89 percent replied that they could think of visiting the region during the summer.
  
  

Vasaloppets tourism-related economic effect inquiry is commissioned by Vasaloppet and the Malung-Sälen, Mora och Älvdalen municipalities.

Vasaloppets winter week 2014

Friday 21 Feb: KortVasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg. (10,000 entries. FULL 25/10/2013.)
Saturday 22 Feb: TjejVasan. 30 km. Start Oxberg. (10,000 entries. FULL 12/9/2013.)
Sunday 23 Feb: UngdomsVasan. 3, 5, 7 or 9 km. Start Mora ski stadium.
Sunday 23 Feb: Öppet Spår Sunday. 90 km. Start Sälen. (10,000 entries. FULL 8/9/2013.)
Monday 24 Feb: Öppet Spår Monday. 90 km. Start Sälen. (8,000 entries. FULL 16/10/2013)
Tuesday 25 Feb: HalvVasan. 45 km. Start Oxberg. (5,000 entries. FULL 31/10/2013.)
Friday 28 Feb: StafettVasan. 24, 24, 14, 9 and 19 km. Start Sälen. (8,000 entries. FULL 17/3/2013)
Sunday 2 March: Vasaloppet. 90 km. Start Sälen. (15,800 entries. FULL 17/3 2013.)

Vasaloppets summer week 2014:

Friday 15 Aug: CykelVasan 30. 30 km. Start Oxberg.
Friday 15 Aug: UngdomsCykelVasan.30 km. Start Oxberg.
Friday 15 Aug: CykelVasan 45. 45 km. Start. Oxberg.
Saturday 16 Aug: CykelVasan 90. 95 km. Start. Sälen. (12,000 entries. FULL 22/09/2013.)
Saturday 23 Aug: UltraVasan 45. 45 km. Running race. Start. Oxberg.
Saturday 23 Aug: UltraVasan 90. 90 km. Running race. Start. Sälen. (850 entries. FULL 22/09/2013)
Saturday 23 Aug: VasaStafetten. 4.5–15.1 km. Running relay for 10 person teams. Start Sälen.

Contributed by: Vasaloppet