The Santos Tour Down Under has continued to set new records with this year’s event attracting the biggest crowd in its 13 year history and injecting more than $43 million into the South Australian economy.
Premier Mike Rann announced today that economic impact and research figures reveal the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under attracted crowds of more than 782,000.
The announcement follows the event’s win at the Qantas Australia Tourism Awards earlier this month, where the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under was named the country’s best major event and festival, for the second year in a row.

Meanwhile, S?koda, the Santos Tour Down Under official vehicle supplier, has signed a new three year partnership with the event. Their sponsorship with the Santos Tour Down Under, which started in 2008, extends now to 2014.

The research reveals the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under, held from 16-23 January, attracted:
• $43.3 million in economic impact compared to $41.5 million in 2010 • 782,393spectators,upfrom770,500in2010 • $1,169spentbyeacheventspecificvisitorfrominterstateandoverseascomparedto$1,047in
2010. • $154.3millionofmediacoverage,comparedto$124millionin2010 • 284hoursoftelevisionbroadcast,comparedto262hoursin2010
“The Santos Tour Down Under continues to go from strength to strength and is firmly entrenched now as the State’s biggest sporting event,” Mr Rann said.
“It is a fantastic event for South Australia, attracting cycling fans and visitors from interstate and overseas to our State and injecting millions of dollars into the economy.”
“It also showcases South Australia to the rest of the world via a huge international television audience. Television broadcast 284 hours of this year’s event and attracted $154.3 million worth of media coverage,” Mr Rann said.

“This year’s event was the biggest in its history as we welcomed the world’s fastest sprinters, up and coming Australian talent, including eventual winner Cameron Meyer and farewelled the career of seven time Tour de France winner, Lance Armstrong.”

“The Santos Tour Down Under has enjoyed massive growth since it received UCI WorldTour status in September 2007, more than doubling in every key indicator, including economic benefit, visitor and spectator numbers and media coverage,” he said.

Santos Chief Executive Officer David Knox praised this year’s event and said it was a privilege for Santos to be the naming rights sponsor.

“We are extremely pleased to be associated with the Santos Tour Down Under,” Mr Knox said. “It is an event which is embraced by the whole community.”

“As an Australian energy pioneer, we are delighted to have brought the energy of the world’s greatest cyclists to South Australia for another highly successful Tour,” Mr Knox said.

Head of S?koda, Matthew Wiesner, said he was delighted the relationship between the European car maker and Santos Tour Down Under would continue for another three years.

“We have strongly supported the event since 2008 when S?koda was launched in Australia. Our sales since then have grown strongly, like the success of the event,” he said.
Independent research company McGregor Tan conducted the research on behalf of the event. The revised crowd figures are an increase on the initial SAPOL estimate of 772,000.