In 2005, parks and recreation operations manager Joel Dunn approached the Carson City, NV convention and visitors bureau with a proposal to boost sports tourism in the city. It paid off. The bureau's grant of $15,000, which covered costs such as event staffing and facility operations, allowed Dunn to bring in 12,000 visitors from outside of a 100-mile radius and more than $3.6 million in local spending.

Parks and recreation departments benefit from sports tourism

In 2005, parks and recreation operations manager Joel Dunn approached the Carson City, Nev., convention and visitors bureau with a proposal to boost sports tourism in the city. “When we originally started the campaign, the intent was to bring in some additional tournaments so that we would reap the benefits of our concessions sales,” Dunn says. “We knew that if we could bring in a few more thousand dollars from concessions each year, we could offset some of the operational costs of our programs for our residents.”


It paid off. The bureau’s grant of $15,000, which covered costs such as event staffing and facility operations, allowed Dunn to bring in 12,000 visitors from outside of a 100-mile radius and more than $3.6 million in local spending. For the 2012-13 tournament season, the bureau has invested nearly $71,000, and Dunn estimates that the campaign is on track to bring in $18.5 million to Carson City’s economy.


Read the rest here