2025 IHF Women’s Handball World Championship: Impact on the City of Rotterdam

The 27th IHF Women’s Handball World Championship 2025, held from 27 November to 14 December and hosted in part at Rotterdam Ahoy, was received very positively by visitors. The championship achieved an average rating of 8.9 — a score that not only stands out, but also compares very favorably with other major sporting events in the city.

Strong willingness to recommend among visitors

The high overall rating translates directly into a strong recommendation score. 68% of visitors would recommend the Handball World Championship to friends, family, or colleagues, while only 2% would not. This results in a Net Promoter Score of +66, a very strong indicator of satisfaction and engagement.

This appreciation is further reflected in the evaluation of individual aspects of the event. The atmosphere stands out in particular (9.4). Hospitality of staff (8.8), child-friendliness (8.6), venue (8.6), and accessibility (8.5) were also highly rated.

Positive boost for Rotterdam and the sport of handball

The Handball World Championship demonstrably contributes to Rotterdam’s image as a sports city. 65% of visitors believe the event shows that Rotterdam supports sporting talent and provides space for elite sports. The city is also perceived as hospitable, collaborative, and innovative.

The impact on the sport of handball itself is significant. Three-quarters of visitors indicate that the championship increased their enthusiasm for handball, while 70% say they intend to follow the sport more frequently in the future. The event therefore acts not only as a platform, but also as a catalyst.

Economic impact: €7.7 million for Rotterdam

Based on visitor spending, the economic impact of the Handball World Championship has been calculated at €7.7 million for the city of Rotterdam. This is considerably higher than the average for comparable sporting events, which are often shorter in duration.

A broad and diverse audience, from well beyond the region

The Handball World Championship attracted a broad and diverse audience. Notably, one-third of visitors were under 18 years of age. The male-female distribution also differs from many other sporting events: 64% of visitors and 61% of ticket buyers were female.

Although the audience is strongly connected to handball — 69% are currently or previously active in the sport, of whom 37% still play — this proportion is lower than at some other international sporting events in Rotterdam, such as the ABN AMRO Open, the FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Championship, and the ISU World Short Track Championships. This underlines the broader appeal of the Handball World Championship.

Almost all visitors came from the Netherlands (92%). The majority traveled from outside the Rijnmond region (88%), highlighting the event’s supra-regional reach.

Thanks to public survey participants

The organization of the Handball World Championship and R2 Research would like to thank all visitors who participated in the audience survey. The feedback from over 1,800 respondents provides a valuable foundation for the further development and strengthening of large-scale sporting events in Rotterdam.

The study was conducted by R2 Research and Cigarbox, in collaboration with the championship organizers (the Nederlands Handbal Verbond, TIG Sports & Events, SportVibes) and Rotterdam Topsport, and offers insights that contribute to future successful events in the city.