2019 SPRING TRAINING VISITORS GENERATED AN ESTIMATED $13.8 MILLION FOR CHARLOTTE COUNTY’S ECONOMY

  • Living in Punta Gorda, Punta Gorda Business, Visiting Punta Gorda
  • No Comments
  • Elliot Cohen

From Punta Gorda / Englewood Beach VCB – MAY 15, 2019

READ ENTIRE STORY

 

PUNTA GORDA/ENGLEWOOD BEACH, Fla. (May 15, 2019) – The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau has released results of the 2019 Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training Visitor and Economic Impact studyOpens a New Window.. The study states out-of-county visitors generated an estimated $13,885,000 in economic impact in Charlotte County. This figure includes direct and indirect spending by day-trippers and overnight visitors. Spending by Charlotte County residents and seasonal visitors, the Charlotte Sports Park, the Tampa Bay Rays organization, visiting teams, or media, are not included.

The estimated figure is based on research the Charlotte County Board of County Commissioners commissioned Research Data Services, Inc., of Tampa, to conduct during the 2019 spring training season. Sixteen Tampa Bay Rays spring training home games were played at the Charlotte Sports Park Feb. 22 – March 22 and attracted 67,001 fans.

Other findings include:

  • Of the 67,001 who attended spring training home games, 34.7 percent were Charlotte County residents or seasonal residents and 67.3 percent were day-trippers or overnight visitors.
  • 66.7 percent of overnight visitors said attending a Tampa Bay Rays spring training game was the primary reason bringing them to Charlotte County.
  • Spring training visitors generated about 9,900 room nights within Charlotte County.
  • Overnight visitors spent an average of 4.2 nights.
  • 95.6 percent of non-resident visitors surveyed indicated they plan to return to Charlotte County

After the Tampa Bay Rays signed a 20-year lease with Charlotte County in 2006, the Charlotte Sports Parks underwent a $27.9 million-dollar renovation and the Rays played their first spring training game on February 25, 2009.

Author: Elliot Cohen

Leave a Reply