Economic Impact

What happens when you combine the high-octane energy of NASCAR with the timeless tradition of Major League Baseball? Tomorrow, Bristol Motor Speedway will answer that question as it transforms from raceway to ballpark for the MLB Speedway Classic, a first-of-its-kind matchup between the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves. This isn't just a game. It’s a visionary hybrid sports event that blends two iconic fanbases, two powerhouse leagues, and a destination bold enough to dream big. 🚧 The transformation: From oval to diamond, with more than 18,000 tons of gravel, synthetic turf, and custom-built clubhouses, all inside NASCAR’s "Last Great Colosseum." 🤝 The collaboration: MLB, NASCAR, and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development working together to create an unforgettable fan experience. 🎤 The festival: A full lineup of concerts featuring Tim McGraw, Pitbull, and Jake Owen, plus food trucks, fan zones, carnival rides, ...

By: Jennifer Stoll, PhD, Principal, Stoll Strategies and Research Director for Sports ETA & Tammy Koerte, Senior Research Manager, Longwoods International Co-published with our partners at Longwoods International, our latest white paper, “The Strong Performance of the Sports Tourism Sector and Rising Resident Sentiment of Sport,” looks at the strength of sports tourism in this post-pandemic world and its support among communities, sports organizations and participants. First, let’s take a look back at sports tourism. As of 2021, sports events and tourism comprised $39.7 billion in direct spending, $12.9 billion in tax revenue and a total economic impact of $91.8 billion in the U.S., according to Sports ETA data. This bounce back from the pandemic outpaced many other industry sectors, including pharmaceuticals, oil and gas extraction, and others. In 2021, more than 175 million Americans traveled for sports-related reasons, just 2.6% below the industry peak...

ICYMI: Last week, on September 21st, Destinations International and Tourism Economics provided an overview and refresher on the EIC tool. If you were unable to join the webinar, you didn't miss out. You can access the recording here in DI's Online Learning Center: Back to the Basics of the Event Impact Calculator (EIC) As a reminder, Sports ETA members receive free access to all DI webinars and webinar recordings. If you do not already have a DI account set up, you will be required to set up an account in order to access the recording. It's free and easy to do. Click here to create an account. Once you have created your account, you will use those credentials for webinar recordings and when registering for future DI webinars and educational offerings.  Just use the code SPORTSETA.   ACCESS WEBINAR RECORDING If you have any questions or difficulties registering, please email education@destinationsinternational.org.

Contact: Jackie Reau Game Day (513) 708-5822 jreau@gamedaypr.com Note to media: To request a full report or to email Al Kidd, President & CEO of Sports ETA, please contact Jackie Reau. Sports ETA releases its “State of the Industry” Report  for the $91.8 Billion Sport Tourism Industry FORT WORTH, TEXAS (May 3, 2022) – Sports ETA, the only trade association for the sports events and tourism industry, released its annual State of the Industry Report for 2021 resulting in the sports tourism sector’s direct spending impact of $39.7 billion which generated a total economic impact of $91.8 billion, supporting 635,000 full-time and part-time jobs and generating $12.9 billion in taxes. The association’s last research report, “2019 State of the Sports Tourism Industry Report in America presented by the Sports Events and Tourism Association in partnership with the Northstar Meetings Group” was released in 2020 to benchmark 201...

In a recent study conducted by the Sports Events and Tourism Association, research showed U.S. sports travelers, event organizers and venues spent a total of $45.1 billion in 2019, an increase of over 5 percent from the previous year, generating $103.3 billion in direct, indirect and induced business sales, according to the 2019 State of the Sports Tourism Industry Report in America. From 2015 to 2019, sports tourism spending increased 16.7%. The study conducted calculated three distinct types of impact: direct, indirect, and induced, calculating the levels of impact for sales, jobs, wages, and taxes. By monitoring the sports tourism economy, policymakers can produce future funding plans and prioritize sector development. Sports Travelers: Nearly 180 million people traveled to a sports event in the U.S. in 2019 either as a participant or spectator, which generated 69 million room nights. The study found this was an increase of more than 10 million people since 2015, who are spend...

Contact: Jackie Reau Game Day (513) 708-5822 jreau@gamedaypr.com Landmark Study by Sports ETA on U.S. Sports-Related Travel Shows $45.1 Billion Impact, Provides Benchmark for Post-COVID 19 Impact Measurement Sports ETA Report Looks at Economic Impact of Sports Tourism in America CINCINNATI (For Immediate Release) – U.S. sports travelers, event organizers and venues spent a total of $45.1 billion in 2019, an increase of over 5 percent from the previous year, generating $103.3 billion in direct, indirect and induced business sales, according to the 2019 State of the Sports Tourism Industry Report in America presented by the Sports Events and Tourism Association (Sports ETA) in partnership with the Northstar Meetings Group. The landmark study presents the most comprehensive and representative data quantifying the value of sports-related travel in the United States. Conducted by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company, the report incorporates original data from ...

The Naples, Florida area is growing its sports tourism abilities with a new sports facility. Collier County is building an $80 million dollar facility that would include 19 sports fields and a lake, according to WINK-TV. This is all made possible to tourism tax dollars. County officials believe this facility will be very popular for not only local sporting events but national tournaments as well. That is something for Sports ETA member Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau to be excited about. The unnamed facility will be operational next July. This will include four fields. The rest of the 15 fields will be done in 2021. Congrats!

Tampa, Florida is looking forward to 2021. That’s the year the city will host the Super Bowl for the fifth time, the last being in 2009. A lot has changed since then, but there is more to be done. According to Fox 13 in Tampa, new hotels, venues, and restaurants have been added over the last 10 years, along with the Riverwalk across 2.6 miles of the city. Tampa is also transforming its waterfront with a new project called Water Street. It will be a community of retail, residential and hotels, culture and education, which the city says will bring in more money than in 2009. Visit Tampa, Tampa Bay Sports Commission and others are not stopping there. They are looking at other high-profile events and take lessons from them so Tampa is ready for its own event. “We try to take what worked really well, and we try to make sure that each of them snowball,” said Rob Higgins, Executive Director at the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. Organizers said they want to make sur...

Ruston, Louisiana celebrated the opening of its new sports complex by hosting a baseball tournament. Dixie Youth World Series is wrapping up its two-week-long event which brought it nearly 80 teams. The Ruston Sports Complex sits on 185 acres in North Louisiana. When completed, the Convention and Visitors Bureau says it will have facilities for baseball, softball, tennis, soccer, and football on 36 fields and 16 turf fields. Additional plans include an indoor facility for basketball and volleyball tournaments, as well as dance and cheer competitions. This new complex is expected to bring a $1.2 billion economic impact to the Ruston and Lincoln parishes. It already started with the Dixie Youth World Series. The baseball tournament secured more than 5,000 overnight stays. “This is an economic boom for our city and for entire North Louisiana,” says City of Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker. “Entire North Louisiana is benefitting from this tournament and will benefit in ...

A small town in Indiana finds their focus after the construction of Grand Park: youth sports. According to an article published by the ABC 10 news, the population in Westfield doubles with families traveling in from across the country to play competitive sports at Grand Park. The facilities were built in June 2014 and have dozens of soccer fields and baseball diamonds. This massive multi-use sporting arena required an investment of $85 million, but now, only a few years later, it has seen over a $700 million impact in the surrounding areas. Local businesses are springing up all around due to the massive amount of traffic in Grand Park. Other towns may host one major league event and bring in a lot of tourism once. Many towns are considering shifting their focus to youth tournaments for a more steady stream of tourism due to the lead of Westfield, IN. Congratulations to the Hamilton County Sports Authority and all your success in Grand Park. View the original article from...