Qatar is preparing for the FIFA World Cup 2022 as a major tourism sporting event. But once the fans have left, what does the future hold for Qatar’s fledgling tourism industry? As economist Andrew Zimbalist argues in his book Circus Maximus: The Economic Gamble behind hosting the Olympics and the World Cup, sports mega-events have not always generated net economic advantages for towns or countries (Brookings Press, 2015). He cites the disastrous 1976 Montréal, Quebec Olympics (which left the city in debt for 30 years), the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, and the 2014 Sochi Winter Games as cautionary lessons.