27/01/2022
NEWS STORY
Scientific study following the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix suggests the event had a "positive economic and social impact".
In 2021 the Dutch Grand Prix returned to Zandvoort after 36 years. Millions of people worldwide witnessed an almost unprecedented event, which was generally agreed a great success - not least when local hero Max Verstappen claimed poe position and a lights to flag win.
The Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) has completed a scientific study into the economic, social, and societal impact of the event and the results of this research were published by the Zandvoort municipality on 26 January.
The Dutch Grand Prix led to €22.3 million (£19.4m) in additional spending in Zandvoort and € 44.5 million (£37.1m) in additional spending in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (including Zandvoort). Additional spending is the total spending minus the amount that visitors or organizers would spend anyway in that period, in the region.
The added economic value that is created is respectively € 8.9 million (£7.4m) for Zandvoort and €23.2 million (£19.3m) for the MRA region (including Zandvoort). This added value is calculated by the researchers based on a percentage of the additional spending, minus the turnover in ticket sales.
The employment linked to event is 244 jobs in Zandvoort and 498 jobs in the MRA region (including Zandvoort).
It is worthwhile mentioning that these figures, even with 2/3 of the total capacity due to the Corona measures, are higher than the predictions from a 2017 study.
Noteworthy figures from the BUas report:
• 126,650 visitors (including VIPs and invitees) made a combined 195,000 visits, measured over the three event days of the Dutch Grand Prix (DGP) 2021
• Visitors have visited the DGP on average 1,5 days
• 19% of visitors are from the MRA (of which 3% from Zandvoort, 77% from the rest of the Netherlands and 4% from abroad)
• 87% of visitors are additional and would not have been in Zandvoort if the event had not taken place
• 26% of all DGP visitors stay overnight in the MRA region. Together this leads to € 7.6 million (£6.3m) in overnight spending in the MRA region, of which € 2.7 million (£2.2m) is spent in Zandvoort.
Residents, entrepreneurs and visitors were very positive about how they experienced the event, with 82.4% of residents thinking they will remember the event for a long time, 87.2% impressed by it, 88.1% saying they enjoyed it and 88.9% saying the event positively surprised them.
Entrepreneurs in Zandvoort were asked to rate the atmosphere in the village and in their businesses. They gave an average mark of 8.7 for the atmosphere in the village (with a 10 being the most given mark), and an 8.4 for the atmosphere in their own company during the race weekend.
The visitors to Zandvoort were fairly unanimous about the good atmosphere: 93% agree or fully agree with the statement 'there is a good atmosphere in the village'. 92% of the visitors feel welcome. The visitors to the circuit are also very satisfied with the atmosphere, rating it on average at 8.9. In the comments to come back again, the atmosphere and the experience of the event are often mentioned; visitors have had a memorable day out.
All three target groups are unanimous about their feeling of safety in Zandvoort and during the event. They felt safe; only 4% or less felt unsafe. On average, they give the event a mark of 8.3.
The ambitious mobility plan of the Dutch Grand Prix has resulted in more than expected positive figures regarding the sustainability requirements. The goal was to be a car-free event in three years, something that, with less than 5% of the visitors coming by car to their destination, was already largely achieved in 2021. Due to this distribution of the various means of transport, the event remained easily accessible, and the inflow and outflow went smoothly.
Which is all very well, but how "impressed" and "positive" would they have been and how memorable the event if Lewis Hamilton had claimed pole and the victory?
Indeed, where's the survey for Abu Dhabi, which was even more "unprecedented"?