Wimbledon fortnight delivers a £200 million boost to the London economy, making the tennis championship the most valuable annual sporting event in Britain, according to a new study.
The thousands of spectators, players, officials, event staff and media representatives who will descend on All England Lawn Tennis Club from Monday will inject millions of pounds a day into the local economy through spending on accommodation, food and drink, transport and merchandise over the two weeks.
Researchers at the sports industry research centre at Sheffield Hallam University found that the tournament’s total economic impact on London last year was £198.9 million, and it supported economic activity worth £222.4 million across the capital. The equivalent figures for Britain as a whole were £319.1 million and £367.9 million respectively.
However, this is projected to rise sharply by 2031 if the All England Club gets planning permission for its Wimbledon Park development plans which would allow admissions to rise to a total of 650,000, almost 135,000 more than current capacity. This could increase the economic boost for London to £268 million and economic activity to £296.3 million.
The report shows that 515,164 spectators attended the tournament last year, spending an average of £79 a day
The report, commissioned by the club, shows that 515,164 spectators attended the SW19 tournament last year, the 135th staging of the event, spending an average of £79 a day, not including tickets, programmes and overnight accommodation.
There were also 2,155 accredited players and support teams, (£224.65 average daily spend), 385 court officials (£91.21), 2,900 media personnel (£205.83), as well as 8,200 event staff. The £78.3 million spending by the All England Club from the financial surplus generated by the championships is also included in the total.
The study found that £74 million of new money was brought into Merton and Wandsworth alone.
Compared with a typical week’s takings, local restaurants, cafes and shops were up 20 to 200 per cent in Merton and by 10 to 100 per cent in Wandsworth. One Merton restaurant owner said: “Wimbledon has a considerable impact on business, we are looking to recoup our Covid losses and are delighted the event is back. It is the highlight of our year.”
Richard Burge, of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: “Wimbledon’s impact report will show what we all know to be true — the championships play a huge role in London’s economy.”
Sally Bolton, chief executive of the All England Club, said: “The Wimbledon Park project will maintain the championships at the pinnacle of the sport, by bringing Qualifying to SW19, and providing substantial year-round benefits for Londoners.”
