By: Amanda Dyson Thornton
Executive Director, Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus
The world’s spotlight on a destination hosting a global sporting event creates opportunities for impact that stretch far beyond a single week or month of games.
For convention and visitors bureaus (CVBs) and destination marketing organizations (DMOs), mega-events like FIFA World Cup matches present an opportunity to “level up” tourism development strategies, strengthen community identity and build lasting legacies that continue to benefit local economies long after the final whistle blows.
From Georgia’s perspective, where collaboration across tourism communities is core to our mission at the Georgia Association of Convention and Visitors Bureaus, the conversation isn’t just about managing the influx of fans. It’s about maximizing the opportunity before, during and after the event.
When leveraged strategically, these events become catalysts for regional transformation, stronger partnerships, enhanced global visibility and deeper engagement of Georgia’s creative workforce, production crews, audiovisual professionals and cultural programmers, whose expertise transforms a sports competition into an immersive, entertainment driven experience.
The lead-up to an international event is often as powerful as the event itself. For years, fans, media outlets, sponsors and global travelers eagerly anticipate the announcement and planning of host cities.
That extended timeline provides CVBs and DMOs with a unique window to elevate awareness, engage local communities and position their destinations in front of an international audience.
One of the most effective strategies is to weave local stories into the global narrative. If a major event, such as the World Cup, is coming to a nearby market, surrounding destinations can highlight complementary experiences, including historic towns, outdoor adventures, culinary scenes or cultural landmarks, to encourage longer stays and broader exploration.
CVBs are uniquely positioned to package and promote these narratives, ensuring that visitors see more than just the stadium. This type of strategic storytelling turns a single trip into a multiday itinerary with regional economic impact.
Additionally, the period before the event fosters significant collaboration between local governments, chambers of commerce, small businesses, nonprofits and tourism stakeholders. Hosting, or even being adjacent to, a global event sparks new partnerships.
Hotels team up with restaurants for bundled offerings, attractions create themed programming and CVBs collaborate with neighboring DMOs to develop cross-regional experiences. Local creative firms, film and broadcast teams and live-event producers also find opportunities to collaborate, weaving entertainment production directly into the tourism experience.
These partnerships, while catalyzed by the event, often lead to sustained cooperation that strengthens tourism ecosystems over time.
Major events also drive investment in infrastructure and workforce development. CVBs play a crucial role in advocating for the needs of the tourism sector with decision-makers and policymakers. This includes ensuring that essential elements such as transit routes, wayfinding signage, visitor information, public safety systems and customer service training are scaled and refined to meet the demands of international guests.
In Georgia, we’ve seen firsthand how preparing for a global event enhances our ability to deliver authentic Southern hospitality on a large scale. This preparation also ensures that our creative industries, those involved in stage design, multimedia storytelling and event production, are fully engaged, amplifying both hospitality and entertainment value.
When the matches begin and the world turns its eyes to the host destination, the spotlight is at its brightest. This is the moment to showcase not only the city at the center of the event but the entire region’s value proposition.
To expand the event’s footprint, many DMOs establish fan zones, public viewing areas, local markets, live music performances and cultural festivals that run parallel to the event schedule.
These immersive activations not only capture visitor spending beyond ticket sales and hotels but also encourage residents to participate, fostering a sense of pride and ownership. They also showcase Georgia’s strengths in live entertainment, music, film and digital media, sectors that power the state’s broader creative economy.
With international press covering every detail, CVBs must be intentional and proactive in managing their message. Media hosting programs, customized itineraries, press kits and digital storytelling ensure that journalists experience the depth and richness of a destination. Every article, photo essay, broadcast segment or influencer video has the potential to inspire future visitation and reshape global perceptions. When done well, this exposure goes far beyond the event and positions the destination for long-term international tourism growth.
At the same time, the pressure on infrastructure and services intensifies. The influx of global visitors puts systems such as lodging, dining, transportation and emergency services to the test. But this challenge also presents an opportunity: to prove that the destination is capable of hosting high-stakes, high-visibility gatherings.
CVBs serve as conveners, bringing together hotels, transit authorities, first responders, airport officials and local businesses to coordinate operations and ensure a seamless experience. The capacity built through this experience becomes a lasting asset, enabling the community to host future events of similar scale or ambition.
The most important question CVBs and DMOs must ask is: What happens after the final whistle blows?
Research shows that destinations that retain benefits from mega-events are those that begin planning for “what’s next” long before the event even starts.
For example, CVBs can leverage the momentum to pitch themselves as ideal hosts for business meetings, association conferences, youth sports tournaments or cultural festivals. The improved infrastructure, new hotels, updated airport terminals, enhanced public transit and modernized venues all become part of a compelling story for future planners, travel writers and potential visitors.
In Georgia, we encourage destinations to see major events as stepping stones rather than endpoints. The global attention may be temporary, but the connections and credibility earned can last for years.
Hosting the World Cup or a similar event connects local leaders to an international network of tourism professionals, corporate sponsors, event planners and cultural organizations. These relationships open doors to new opportunities, collaborations and investments that benefit not only tourism but the broader community.
Equally important is the internal impact. The pride residents feel from successfully hosting the world often translates into a renewed sense of possibility and community confidence.
Local stakeholders may become more supportive of tourism initiatives, better understand their role in economic development and be more willing to champion future projects. CVBs should use this window to reinforce messages about tourism’s contributions to job creation, quality of life and local vibrancy.
By turning momentary attention into lasting momentum, communities can transform global collaboration into enduring growth.
For Georgia, that momentum isn’t limited to tourism, it reinforces the state’s position as a hub where sports, entertainment and innovation converge, powered by the creative industries that support every visitor experience.
This article appeared in the 2026 edition of the Creative Economy Journal. See more from the Journal here.
