Bermuda got more than they bargained for, according to tourism minister Senator Michael Fahy, after being awarded three International Triathlon Union world series events yesterday.

“That is a lot more, frankly, than we would have anticipated for our investment,” Fahy told The Royal Gazette. “The fact it’s our first bid and we are given three events one after the other is actually a huge feat for us and for the triathlon association here and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.”

The island lost their original bid to host the 2020 ITU World Triathlon Series Grand Final to Edmonton, Canada, and instead were awarded three series events to be held in April of 2018, 2019 and 2020.

The minister said the cost to host ITU events is in the region of $2 million and $2.5 million, and will be money well spent in terms of the revenue it will generate.

“We are looking at about between $2 and $2.5 million per year as the costs, with the anticipated economic impact of about $20 million a year in return — and that’s based on the tourism arrival numbers we have been looking at,” Fahy said. “As well we have taken into account the media exposure that we get. What you normally pay for the type of media exposure is in the millions, so you are looking at a 10 to 1 ratio.

“It’s that media piece that gives us quite a distinctive edge going forward when you look at NBC Sports. One of the reasons why we thought we would do very well was because of our location, in terms of television, so we can actually get that broadcast across the world. It’s not sometimes just about making sure you’re beautiful; it’s also about the timing for television rights, and we are well placed for that.

“This is a first for Bermuda and a huge win for all of us. These world series events bring with them 1,200 competitors to each event, which includes 150 elite athletes, not to mention their friends, family members and supporters.

“These weeklong World Triathlon Series events will be broadcast around the globe, including the United States where NBC Sports is the broadcast partner. This will ensure coverage of Bermuda on televisions around the world.

“The proposed courses for the triathlon will highlight Bermuda’s natural beauty on both land and sea.

“Also, from a tourism perspective, April is a month where we have room for growth, so these events will offer a huge boost for the island in that month and will result in significant visitor spending on-island.”

The tourism minister also confirmed that Bermuda will bid for the 2021 Grand Final.

“We will definitely be bidding for 2021 and given the fact [the ITU] were so impressed with our bid that they turned around and said ‘we really thought you did an impressive job’,” Fahy said.

“Bermuda’s blessings of a temperate climate, seaside beauty and iconic geographic location have certainly made us a coveted playing field for some of the world’s greatest contests.

“This will set us up very nicely to be, hopefully, the hot favourite for 2021.”

Bermuda’s delegation that travelled to Madrid for the bid presentation was headed by Fahy and world champion Flora Duffy. It also comprised Pat Phillip-Fairn, the BTA chief product and experiences development officer, and Philipp Schmidt, the bid committee chairman.

“We walked away feeling like we did a great job, and having Flora there, of course, was a huge deal that she was able to stand up in front of a committee of 16 or 17 people and show the passion for Bermuda and the passion for the sport, saying, ‘I’m the world champion and I would love to compete in my home town’, which was very persuasive as well,” Fahy said.

“Getting to this point has been a cross-ministry partnership between the ministries of Tourism, Transport and Municipalities, Economic Development, and Social Development and Sports, who all assisted in preparing Bermuda’s bid for these events. I want to thank all those involved for making this possible.”

Fahy added: “The intent here is to create a legacy of having that sport be something that the young people of this country say ‘I want to participate in it’ because when you look at it, the biggest expense for you is your bike.

“You can swim, you can run and so you don’t have to make this huge investment if you want to get involved in the sport. It is across ages and race, and it’s something that is very positive and actually helps bring Bermuda together as well.

“Sport brings people together and this type of event brings people together, and we will keep making the effort with the BTA in bringing this sports tourism product.”

Aaron Smith, speaking on behalf of the Bermuda Triathlon Association, revealed that the island will host the Continental Cup Triathlon in April.

“We are going to be hosting the Continental Cup Triathlon, which is considered, maybe, more of a minor league of triathlon, but it’s still elite athletes,” Smith said.

“Based on the events of the last 24 hours here, we are going to try and see if we can work a lot closer with the BTA [Bermuda Tourism Authority] and the ITU to see if we can make that event a bit of a precursor to what’s to come.”