The Welsh Government’s Tîm Cymru approach to the 2022
FIFA World Cup in Qatar increased the visibility and profile of
Wales on the international stage during and after the
competition, new research published today shows.
According to the report , Welsh Government-funded activities
through a Tîm Cymru approach have facilitated new partnerships,
strengthened networks and enhanced economic, educational and
cultural international relations.
A Partnership Support Fund worth £1.8m across 19 projects was
funded by Welsh Government to support activities around the World
Cup. The report highlighted over 320,000 people participated or
attended over 2,200 PSF events and associated activities which
reached an audience of over 5 million.
Furthermore, Welsh Government-funded PR activity led to 540
pieces of media coverage globally. This created an estimated 8
billion ‘opportunities to see’ this coverage.
The report found that the visibility of Wales at the World Cup
had increased awareness of the country among the audiences around
the world.
The Welsh Government-funded World Cup activity comprised:
- The PSF which funded 19 culture, sport and education
organisations to deliver activities to celebrate Wales in the
World Cup.
- An enhanced marketing campaign, which focused on core target
international markets across the Cymru Wales brand, business and
tourism as well as a strong in-Wales campaign presence. The
campaign’s target markets included Wales, USA, parts of Europe,
UK, and in Qatar.
- Lleisiau Cymru World Cup Ambassadors – a new initiative
consisting of a group of four individuals who worked to raise
Wales’ profile internationally and to help create long-lasting
positive perceptions and building strong relationships with key
partners.
- International events organised by the Welsh Government's
overseas offices, particularly in Qatar and the USA.
It also found that this had all been achieved in the short time
available between Wales’ qualification in June 2022 and the start
of the tournament in November.
Stakeholders reported that the Tîm Cymru approach had brought
organisations together with a strategic and coordinated focus and
highlighted the Welsh Government approach of combining sporting
and cultural activities as being particularly effective in
showcasing Wales internationally as a distinct nation.
The report found strong evidence that these activities have
reached a wide audience, both domestic and internationally:
Welcoming the publication of the report, the Economy Minister,
said:
“The Welsh Government established an ambitious and exciting range
of activities to make the most of the unique opportunity offered
by the Cymru men’s football team’s participation in the 2022 FIFA
World Cup.
“Our objective was to promote Wales, project our values of
inclusivity and diversity, ensure the safety of Welsh citizens at
the tournament, and secure a positive and lasting legacy. The
report published today demonstrates that we’ve exceeded our goals
and are well on our way to achieving a lasting legacy.
“Our £1.8m Partner Support Fund has propelled Welsh talent across
the world, facilitated new partnerships and strengthened networks
in business, science and the arts.
“Thanks to our Tîm Cymru approach, bringing together a
wide range of partners, the Welsh Government has built an
effective and replicable model to support future strategies such
as the potential joint hosting of the UEFA European Football
Championship in 2028.”
Lleisiau Cymru’s Laura McAllister said:
“The World Cup offered an unprecedented opportunity for us to
raise the profile of Cymru whilst also staying firm to and
promoting our values of diversity, inclusivity and respect for
human rights. I’m delighted at the success of our presence at the
World Cup and we will build on its legacy and ensure we maximise
this unique opportunity for Wales, for football and beyond.”
The full Evaluation of Welsh Government-funded World Cup
Activities report can be found here.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Further findings include:
- The enhanced marketing campaign activities delivered by Welsh
Government under the Cymru Wales brand have generated over 150
million opportunities to see content relating to Wales (49% above
the target set).
- 48 million views of videos relating to the Cymru Wales brand
was also observed (50% above the target set).
- Traffic to the wales.com website increased by 600 per cent
during November and December 2022.
- Mentions of Wales online were 40 per cent higher globally in
the second half of 2022 compared to the first half of the year.
- Stakeholders described other emerging economic outcomes
including ongoing discussions with potential overseas investors
about creating new jobs in Wales; these organisations had been
engaged during the Welsh Government-funded World Cup events in
the USA.
- Some stakeholders provided examples of specific artists and
musicians who had capitalised on their participation in PSF
activities and been successful in gaining new work or commissions
as a result.
