FIFA World Cup as a leading factor of sustainable development: a case of the Nizhny Novgorod region

The article reviews the influence of the 2018 World Cup heritage as a leading factor of the territorial sustainable development on the example of the Nizhny Novgorod region. The main objective of the study is to identify the positive and negative effects of hosting the FIFA World Cup on the tourist flow to the region and ensuring its leading development in the future. The international experience of hosting FIFA World Cup in other countries is under consideration. The positive and negative consequences of hosting the World Cup for the host country are covered as well. The short-term and long-term results of the 2018 World Cup for the region under investigation have been identified. The structure is proposed to study the heritage as the level of infrastructure, the level of hotel service, the level of development of the information and telecommunications infrastructure, as well as the influence of the 2018 World Cup on the image and informational fame of the city and the region. A statistical study of the growth of collective accommodation facilities for tourists, rooms and sports facilities has been carried out, and a sharp increase in the number of these facilities has been revealed. The qualitative changes in the infrastructure have been investigated, which at present corresponds to the world requirements. The expenses for construction and further maintenance of the largest infrastructure facilities of the Nizhny Novgorod region have been studied. The low economic efficiency of the further use of the World Cup heritage has been justified, while maintaining the existing tourist flow to the region. The regional tourist potential growth and the need to identify and develop new types of tourism to ensure sustainable development of the region have been ascertained. The growth of the qualitative and quantitative level of the basic elements of the tourist potential has been noted. The relationship between the preparation and hosting 2018 FIFA World Cup and the tourist potential growth of the Nizhny Novgorod region has been revealed.