Bring more events to Shreveport-Bossier City
When was the last time you traveled out of town to attend your child’s high school playoffs? Did you stay in a local hotel? And while there, did you eat at local restaurants and shop? That’s the power of sports tourism; one sporting event can generate a strong impact for the local economy. So, what if we could bring more of those events and revenue to the Shreveport-Bossier City market?
In Shreveport-Bossier City sports tourism is a growing industry that benefits all of our residents. Each year, the Shreveport- Bossier Sports Commission works on a local, regional and national scale to line up sporting events for the Shreveport- Bossier City market, and promote our area as a sporting event destination. These sporting events range from professional-level competitions, such as the Dallas Mavericks vs. the New Orleans Pelicans pre-season basketball game and the 2013 Forrest Wood Cup, to amateur competitions like the Junior Dixie Boys World Series. Thus far in 2014, Shreveport-Bossier City has played host to 55 events, which have benefited local venues, hotels, restaurants and generated $5.5 million in estimated economic impact.
However, despite our success this year, Shreveport-Bossier City has also lost out on sporting events to other markets with more available funding.
Larger events, such as the LHSAA State Boys’ Basketball and Wresting Tournaments, bring in participants and families from across the state for two to three days of competition. To bid on major events at current funding levels, the Shreveport- Bossier Sports Commission must build up funds over a twoto three-year period. Therefore, we’re not able to bring in larger events each year, such as the Bassmaster Classic, which in 2012 generated $21 million in estimated economic impact.
There are opportunities to secure larger events such as these on a regular basis, but to accomplish this the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission would require additional funding. Currently, the Sports Commission’s annual budget is comprised of funding from the cities, parishes, Shreveport- Bossier Convention & Tourist Bureau, as well as local private partners.
One proposed area of additional funding is revenue from the 2 percent Hotel Occupancy Tax Proposition, which would levy an additional 2 percent tax to visitors staying in area hotels, motels and campgrounds. In other words, an overnight visitor would pay $1.49 extra at the current average daily rate. Of that $1.49, 37 cents would go to the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission to help in our efforts to secure more sporting events.
Over the past several years, sports tourism has had a positive impact on our local economy, and it’s the goal of the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission to continue bringing professional and amateur sporting events to the local market. The more events held in our market on an annual basis, the greater economic impact sports tourism can have on our cities.
Kelly Wells is the Vice President of Sports and Tourism for the Shreveport- Bossier Sports Commission. The Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission is a division of the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau in partnership with the City of Shreveport, Caddo Parish Commission, Bossier Parish Police Jury and the City of Bossier. Visit our website: www.shreveportbossiersports.com or email Kelly Wells at [email protected].
