Tourism Planning: Legacy of Qatar ‘22?

The Football World Cup along with the Summer Olympics is known as the biggest sporting event in the world. Held every 4 years, the qualifying rounds include teams from every nook & corner trying to win for themselves a place in the actual 32 team tournament. World Cup qualification & further success has brought fame to countries which do not otherwise find themselves much in international news for positive events. Football being always considered a working class sport, offers the only chance for Senegal to beat former colonial masters France or for tiny Costa Rica to consistently topple the USA. For obvious reasons besides the socio-cultural advantages that the World Cup offers, the business side cannot be overlooked. World Cups or other major sporting events do not necessarily bring financial advantage in the short run, but gives enormous scope for branding purposes. That is exactly the reason why so many countries queue up to host the tournament. Europe has always held the upper hand in hosting due to obvious infrastructural advantages & the deep historical roots the sport enjoys across the continent. However, in recent decades FIFA the world governing body of the sport, has tried to allocate hosting to newer corners of the globe in order to continue its growing popularity beyond traditional power zones. Thus world cups held in recent years in Japan-South Korea (co-hosts), South Africa, USA etc. While this effort of FIFA is laudable, the relatively recent awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar draws bafflement. In terms of tourism planning & legacy that tournaments give, Qatar provides none. Let us study why this decision of FIFA can be described as ludicrous.