Computable General Equilibrium assessment of mega-events: Issues and possible solutions

Mega-events are often perceived as opportunities to foster regional development. To assist policy makers in deciding whether to host such events, Computable General Equilibrium models are increasingly used. The literature has recently begun reviewing these studies and has shown that they are at risk of providing misleading policy recommendations if they do not pay more attention to the various specificities of mega-events. This paper identifies 13 modelling issues, examines their implications and discusses how they could be overcome. Fostering a discussion of these issues among scientists could be beneficial for the progress of policy modelling in this specific area.