Economic benefits of Orkney Island Games revealed

The total economic benefit of hosting the International Island Games in July is £7.8 million to Orkney.

This is broken down by visitors spending a total of £4.3 million; £2.4 million being spent with local suppliers, and an investment of £1.1 million into sports, facilities and athlete and coach development.

Those are the headline figures contained within an evaluation report released this week, which assessed the impact of hosting the sporting spectacle on the local economy and community.

Bringing 4,369 spectators to Orkney and 2,141 athletes and officials from 24 islands across the globe, the Island Games in July was a huge success, and the largest event ever to be hosted in the islands.

Chairman of Orkney 2025 Gordon Deans said that the report confirms that the event was “a resounding success on every level.”

From drawing a total attendance of 63,336, to 1,027 volunteers putting in over 21,000 hours of work, the report covers many aspects of the games, exploring economic impact, legacy, social impact, media coverage and environmental sustainability.

The report also reveals the total budget for the games was £3.7 million.

Of this, £1.4 million came from Orkney Islands Council, £700,000 from Scottish Government, £221,00 from sponsors, and £1.4 million from income that was generated by the event itself.

Read more in The Orcadian.