HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — This summer has been a busy summer of sports for the Rocket City. Many tourists have visited from near and far just to se different athletic competitions all right here in the city!
Over the last five weeks, there have been three national championships, two major swimming events, and a national junior golf competition. Combined, these six events brought in over $6 million in estimated economic impact.
“This is a big year for major sporting events in Huntsville and summer continued to showcase our place as a world-class sports city,” said Joel Lamp, Sports Development Manager for the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau. “The impact of these events went well beyond the direct economic benefit, as we elevated Huntsville’s stature as a host city and introduced our city to so many new people from across the country.”
Of the six events, the USA Table Tennis Nationals was the headlining event. The five-day event brought in more than 1,200 visitors which had an economic impact of about $1.8 million. This national event was the final stop before athletes headed to Paris for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympics.
The USTA Girls Under-16 Clay Court Nationals finished up on Sunday. This eight-day event brought close to $1 million to Huntsville. The prestigious event has become one of the highlighted events in the city as it was the fifth time Huntsville has hosted.
Bringing in close to $230,000 was the annual Huntsville Championship hosted by the American Junior Golf Association. Over 150 players participated in the competition.
This summer Tiger Rock Martial Arts returned to the VBC for their national championship bringing more than 1,300 people in to the city. More than 1,800 hotel rooms were booked for the event bringing close to $1.2 million economic impact.
And to end the summer off were two major swimming events: The annual Summer Long Course Swim Championship and the USA Swimming Futures Championship. Each event brought in over $1 million to the Rocket City.
“We have been building our portfolio steadily every year and this summer enabled our team to showcase Huntsville to our visitors and provide a memorable experience that will bring them back to visit again,” said Mark Russell, Executive Director of the Huntsville Sports Commission. “From sending off the Olympic table tennis to Paris all the way to the youth event, it has been an exciting sports summer for our city.”