Aberdeen hotels are set for a major tourism bonanza after councillors were told the World Rally Championship could generate around 76,000 hotel room nights and inject up to £20 million a year into the city economy alone.
The FIA World Rally Championship will return to the UK from 2027 with a major new event headquartered in Aberdeen and staged across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.
Under plans for the four-day WRC Rally Scotland, P&J Live will become the event’s Rally HQ and Service Park, with the rally running through all three local authority areas while Aberdeen hosts the high-profile city elements, including potential ceremonial starts and finishes and a city street stage.
A new council report confirms the huge economic opportunity for the North-east, citing international research which found World Rally Championship events generate an average direct economic impact of £35m per event, with 73% of spectators travelling from outside the host area.
Research also found WRC events generate around 76,000 hotel room nights, creating what is expected to be a major boost for hotels, bars, restaurants and hospitality businesses across the region.
Council officers estimate Aberdeen alone could see a net economic boost worth between £7 million and £10 million every year from the rally.
The council report states: “Aberdeen City is anticipated to be a main beneficiary as the operational centre (HQ and Service Park at P&J Live), host of key city-based stages, and a gateway for teams, media and visitors.”
Officials said Aberdeen is well placed to cope with the expected influx of visitors, with the city boasting 14,234 bedspaces per night within its boundary.
The championship is expected to shine a global spotlight on the North-east, with the FIA World Rally Championship reaching a cumulative worldwide television audience of more than 1.3 billion in 2024.
Councillors will next week be asked to note that planning and mobilisation work is already underway ahead of the 2027 event, including stakeholder engagement sessions inspired by lessons learned from Tall Ships 2025.
The rally is initially planned for a three-year run between 2027 and 2029, with ambitions to establish North-east Scotland as the long-term home of Rally Scotland.