Ex Ante and Ex Post Willingness to Pay for Hosting a Large International Sport Event

Using the contingent valuation method, we estimate residents' ex ante and ex post willingness to pay (WTP) for hosting a large international sport event: The "big start" of the 2016 Giro d'Italia, which was held in the Gelderland region of the Netherlands. The percentage of residents with a positive WTP changed from 29.7% before the event to 39.3% immediately after the event, while average WTP increased significantly from euro3.58 to euro4.45, leading to an increase of residents' valuation from euro5.8 million to euro7.1 million. Additionally, following the event in the media and attending the event play an important role in explaining residents' WTP.