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Abstract
The paper is concerned with the role of sports events and their significance for tourism. It presents an empirical case study of the Gulf State of Qatar and its hosting of the 2022 football World Cup. Such sports events are recognised as a tourism resource with the power to attract large numbers of visitors and enhance destination image thereby justifying a place in tourism development and economic diversification strategies. They serve additional purposes related to national branding and foreign relations as Qatar is actively seeking greater engagement with the international community. The country is investing heavily in its sports infrastructure, events programme and tourism in pursuit of favourable returns including social benefits for citizens. Success is not guaranteed and there may be undesirable outcomes from event hosting. The distinctive qualities of the place and prevailing conditions shape official motivations and give rise to opportunities, but also challenges in implementing ambitious plans and achieving objectives. Insights are thus afforded into the underlying agendas, practice and repercussions of sports events tourism as their reach is extended into the Middle East through Qatar's preparations for the 2022 Federation Internationale de Football Association World Cup.
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