Tourists go to Delaware beaches each year, but the state tourism office has its eye on another growing boon: sports tourism.
From travel baseball and lacrosse tournaments to college athletics, national figure skating championships, and a PGA golf tournament, the state has hosted a number of athletic events in recent years, and officials are eager to tap in to the estimated $128 billion economic impact of sports tourism in the U.S. in 2023.
“We’ve really seen sports tourism grow throughout Delaware,” says Jessica Welch, director of the tourism office. To aid that growth, the state is testing out a grant program to help event organizers cover costs in the hope it will make Delaware a more attractive destination. Organizers had been asking if such a program was available, Welch says. “We need to remain as competitive as possible to keep these sports events in the state—and [to] attract new ones.”
The First State has set aside $500,000 in grants and will evaluate how successful the program was after that is allocated. Organizers can get grants after an event based on the actual economic impact. The program quickly attracted interest.
“They’re showing that they did want it, and they’re applying,” Welch says.
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