The County Administrative Board Says YES to GGN
PRESS RELEASE July 19, 2024
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD APPROVES THE GOTLAND GRAND NATIONAL 2.0 IN HEJDEBY.
The world's largest enduro race, the Gotland Grand National (GGN), will remain on Gotland in 2024 as well, after the County Administrative Board has now approved the GGN's plan to build the new course in the area.
It has now been 327 days (11 months) since the Swedish Armed Forces decided against continuing the competition after 40 years at the Tofta Firing Range.
“We’ve been working in a very focused and goal-oriented manner since August 28, 2023, when we received the notification from the Swedish Armed Forces,” says a very calm but relieved Conny Bohlin, CEO of Nordic Sport & Event.
After more than 100 meetings, consultations, rounds of public comment, and significant investments of time and money, the organizer of the Gotland Grand National has now received approval from the Gotland County Administrative Board.
“We’re all set with our suppliers and forestry contractors who will be building the GGN track of the future in Hejdeby, which will be something truly special for the participants, the audience, and, of course, TV viewers,” Conny Bohlin continues.
In addition to the regular 5 million invested in the event each year, the investment will total around 2 million to build the arenas and the track in Hejdeby.
– After more than 11 months of work—marked by both successes and setbacks—it now feels incredibly exciting to soon begin the real work on the future GGN track and arena.
With great respect for nature and the animals in the area, we now have a planned course and venues that take into account the water protection area, alvar grasslands, wetlands, crayfish, pasqueflowers, Apollo butterflies, and much more of the area’s flora and fauna.
Together with experts, we will work to promote biodiversity in the Hejdeby area for many years to come.
“We would now like to begin a long-term collaboration and project with an organization dedicated to environmental issues so that, together with them, we can conduct an inventory and carry out further, more extensive surveys in the area. We will be investing money and time over many years to come to promote biodiversity in the area surrounding the track in Hejdeby,” Conny Bohlin concludes.
GOTLAND NEEDS GGN, AND GGN NEEDS GOTLAND!
For further information and questions, please contact:
Conny Bohlin
CEO Nordic Sport & Event
0708 – 249494
FACTS ABOUT THE GOTLAND GRAND NATIONAL
NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: Over3,400 from 15 nations (participants aged 5–75) in 2023.
NUMBER OF CONSECUTIVE YEARS: 40 (The GGN was perhaps the only major event in Europe held during the 2020 pandemic)
GUEST NIGHTS: 28,000 (number of nights GGN generates during the week)
BUSINESS REVENUE: 100,000,000 SEK/year (travel, lodging, dining, and shopping)*
REVENUE FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS: 800,000 SEK/year (the total revenue community organizations generate thanks to GGN)
SVT SPORT VIEWERS: 600,000 (over 5 hours of live broadcasts)
