By Kendall Bulkiewicz
As Major League Baseball’s spring training season returns to Tampa, local businesses near George M. Steinbrenner Field are seeing an increase in customers driven by visiting fans and game-day activity.
The arrival of sports teams such as the New York Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays has resulted in an influx of sports fans into the area, most of whom have come to catch a game of the Grapefruit League. This is having a positive effect on businesses in the area, which otherwise would have seen a decrease in patronage during the spring season.
The game days have a positive effect on the general ambiance of the area, especially due to the presence of several cars heading towards the venue hours before the actual game is set to start.
“Spring training is a part of sports tourism in Florida because it generates up to $600 million in economic revenue within the Tampa Bay region,” Brooke Hansen, an Associate Director of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management in the Muma College of Business and professor at the University of South Florida, said. “It’s part of a larger sports tourism bucket that includes things like March Madness, and we get consistent visitors within the city.”
Hansen said high-profile sports teams have a business-multiplier effect.
“People will spend money on hotels, restaurants, retail, transportation and entertainment,” Hansen said.
This will not only benefit the Tampa area but will also trickle down to other areas such as Dunedin and Tarpon Springs.
She mentioned that games during the preseason are attractive because tickets are cheaper compared to regular games, and smaller venues give fans a closer view of the players.
For a fan such as St. Petersburg local Molly Clark, spring training is not just a sporting event, but a full-day experience that can extend into the surrounding businesses. She also noted that she is a regular at the spring training games and that she goes out after the game. This will increase the flow of business into the area.
People could make a day out of the event, with the fans arriving early to the stadium and patronizing the businesses in the surrounding area. Once the event is over, having reached the final inning, a night out could be an option for some of the fans.
The flow of patrons into the area is an important factor that will be beneficial to some businesses that wish to capitalize on the possibility of an influx of tourists. Even a brief influx of patrons, such as that experienced in the spring, will help alleviate the lack of business that is felt at the beginning of the year.
However, not all businesses experience the same level of impact. Some say the boost depends heavily on proximity to the stadium and the teams playing.
“We don’t really get a lot of spring training traffic unless there’s a game going on,” Sofia Difede, an employee at 1983 Tampa, said. “We don’t really have a lot of Yankees fans over here — it’s more Rays fans, and their stadium is in St. Petersburg.”
Difede said the restaurant, located about 10 minutes from the stadium, sees more consistent business tied to other Tampa sports teams.
She added that while spring training brings occasional spikes in activity, it does not compare to the steady crowds generated by other local sporting events.
While the spring training season garners attention for the region, the financial benefits will depend on the location of the business. Difede said that 1983 Tampa does not have direct affiliations with MLB teams.
While the experiences for businesses have been varied, the season is still an important contributor to the tourism season in the Tampa Bay region. The attendance from the visiting teams, as well as the locals, continues to support the businesses.
As Tampa hosts some of the best teams in the region, the spring training season plays a key role in furthering the reputation for sports tourism in the area.
