Basel’s hosting of the Eurovision Song Contest has paid off handsomely.
New figures from the canton show the event generated CHF 248m in revenue across Switzerland, creating CHF 115m in added value, including CHF 53m for Basel itself, for a net cost of just CHF 33m, lower than expected.
The city also enjoyed more than 313,000 media mentions over the past year, boosting its image as a cultural and musical destination.
And despite criticism from opponents who called the contest a waste of public money, the economic impact suggests Basel’s gamble clearly succeeded.
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