Most of Red Sox Nation wanted a World Series sweep, just like we had in 2004 and 2007. But it’s going to be a longer series, and that could be a huge win for Boston’s economy. According to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, a public relations client of Regan Communications, each World Series game injects between $5.7 million and $6.3 million into the area economy. If the Sox and Cardinals are still playing ball around Halloween in Fenway Park, that would mean up to $25 million is being spent here on hotel rooms, restaurants, corporate events, merchandise sales, transportation and a variety of other industries that depend on visitor spending. If you include spending by people who already live within a 50-mile radius of Boston, that number could jump to $10 million per game. Even the state gets a share, pulling in almost $40,000 in income taxes for the two games that took place in Boston already.
The city is really where the major economic boost takes place for showcase sporting events such as the World Series. While many suburban families gather in homes with friends to watch the games, Boston hotels, restaurants and bars see their business skyrocket. Boston has certainly been blessed in this regard with the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox all making playoff runs on an annual basis recently.
While the World Series represents an immediate infusion of dollars into Boston’s economy, tourism has actually been on the upswing ever since the Boston Marathon bombings. In the aftermath of that tragedy, national tourism offices in 38 countries around the world adopted a resolution and sent it to Mayor Menino, declaring that they would promote Boston as a destination, to see what American spirit is really about. The response to those resolutions has been tremendous. Hotel occupancy in the month after the Marathon was UP nearly 2 percent over the year before – driven by a jump in international visitors. The sight of tourists flocking to Boston became a symbol of the national and global impact of the tragedy, and how it brought people together. Due in part to the increase in international visitors, Boston’s hotel industry is on track for its best year since 1999.
Pat Moscaritolo, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, says the tourism industry really stepped up for Boston in the wake of the Marathon bombings, and he was impressed by the incredible outpouring of support from around the country and around the world. People want to be in Boston, and that was reflected in the numbers from this past summer. Pat says Boston’s tourism industry had two of the best summer months ever, and that momentum has pretty much carried us through a beautiful fall, a weather-perfect Head of the Charles, and now, the World Series. It’s almost as if everything just magically lined up in the right way, just like the magical Red Sox season of 2013.
-Sean Martin
