World Series economic boom for Denver tourism
Denver’s first appearance in the World Series will have a major impact on the city’s tourism industry, according to Richard Scharf, president & CEO of the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“A study from previous World Series has shown the economic impact is somewhere in the neighborhood of $2.4 to $5 million per home game,” Scharf said. He noted that Denver’s 8,000 downtown hotel rooms are already nearly sold out over the series dates with a series of meetings and conventions including the Geological Society of America and the National Society for Histotechnology.
“The actual spending during the games is just the tip of the iceberg when you look at the impact something like this will have on tourism in the future,” Scharf said.
Scharf noted that in 2006, the Colorado Rockies were already the sixth biggest tourism attraction in Denver and the second highest paid attraction after the Denver Zoo. “This is an especially high rating since the Rockies play only about six months of the year,” he said.
Scharf predicts that next year, the Rockies will become the most popular attraction in the city. “After an amazing year like this, many Colorado tourists are going to want to go to Coors Field and see the Rockies. That means many of them will spend an extra day in the city, eat three or more extra meals here, and spend more money on shopping, car rental and purchasing sports paraphernalia. The ability of the Rockies to seat 50,000 people for 80 home games means that there is great availability for tourists to get tickets,” Scharf said.
In addition, Scharf feels the media coverage around the world will help increase the number of visitors coming to Denver and Colorado. “As the 20th largest city in the United States, Denver does not get a lot of worldwide coverage. The incredible, record-breaking run that the Rockies have had the last 22 games has made the team a sports legend and increased worldwide interest in both the team, and the city. A large part of Denver’s mystique is our location a mile above sea level at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Everything about the Colorado Rockies – from their name to the special humidor they have for baseballs – reinforces our unique location and the appeal that this gives us as a travel destination,” Scharf said.
He said the Bureau is already working with reporters from around the world, many of whom will be doing feature stories on the city in addition to covering the game. “If for some reason the Rockies don’t sweep the Series in four games and it has to go to a fifth game, there is also a Monday night Broncos game being played on October 29. The resulting coverage of the two games will probably give Denver one of the highest sports viewerships of the year,” Scharf said.
“The baseball movie Field of Dreams turned a corn field in Iowa into a tourist attraction. The incredible run of the Colorado Rockies in 2007 and the amazing amount of media coverage it’s getting is going to make Coors Field one of the most famous and recognized sports stadiums in the country – and that is going to be great for tourism in 2008 and beyond,” Scharf said.
2006 Top (non-shopping) Tourism Attractions in Denver
1. LoDo (Lower Downtown Historic District)
2. Coors Brewery
3. Red Rocks Amphitheatre
4. Denver Zoo
5. Colorado State Capitol
6. Colorado Rockies
7. Denver Museum of Nature & Science
8. Buffalo Bill’s Museum & Grave
9. Denver Botanic Gardens
10. U.S. Mint
Founded in 1909, the Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau is a private, non-profit trade association with one thousand business members, charged with marketing Denver as a convention and leisure destination. Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver with 11.7 million annual visitors spending $2.76 billion in the metro area, supporting 65,000 jobs.