WV Metro Sports Region
“ The 2024 Eastern Regional brought approximately $ 28 million into the region ,” says Salango . “ Over 10,000 people from 13 states attended . Virtually all teams and visitors who attended the tournament stayed in hotels , and 232 teams participated .”
Many businesses reported record sales during the U . S . Youth Soccer tournament .
“ When Shawnee and Barboursville first hosted the event together , many restaurants were surprised by the influx of visitors , and some ran out of food ,” Salango says . “ Thereafter , we started working with local businesses to make sure they were aware of tournament dates so they could better prepared for the volume of customers .”
Kim Smee , executive director of the WVFC , says the 2024 WVFC Capital Cup brought over 200 teams from eight states and Canada and occupied 11,000 hotel rooms .
“ We used local vendors , such Crafts of the Coal Ice Cream and Coal River Coffee Company ,” Smee says . “ Quantum Sports Center was used for tournament set up and all concessions , and our local Pizza Hut provided personal pizzas for concessions .”
Professional Sports
One unique and new sport in Charleston is the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships . Brady says the city ’ s challenging terrain and a strong local organizing committee led to Charleston ’ s selection .
“ In 2024 , the Pro Road Championships created a $ 4.6 million economic impact ,” he says . “ The event was well received , and we expect additional attendees and athletes each year , especially in 2028 , when the winners of Time Trials move on to the Olympic Games .”
The five-day event in 2024 drew 435 athletes from 46 states . The city hosted 2,794 overnight guests and visitor spending was up 22 %.
Another form of sports tourism that has seen success in West Virginia is minor league sports , for example , the Wheeling Nailers hockey team .
Photo by Wheeling Nailers Hockey .
WV Metro Sports Region
The West Virginia Metro Sports Region is a collaborative effort among the Charleston , Huntington , Barboursville and Putnam County CVBs .
“ The primary function of the collective is to sell our region of West Virginia as a destination for travel sports ,” says Tim Brady , president and CEO of the Charleston CVB .
Brady says this initiative was created because the participating CVBs were individually attending sales-based trade shows to sell their respective destinations where they were competing for attention with much larger destinations .
“ We all agreed we were more powerful together than we were alone ,” he says . “ By creating this cooperative effort , we can maximize our exposure at these national events and the appointments we have .”
The West Virginia Metro Sports Region works closely with local businesses and communities to enhance the visitor experience . Brady uses the U . S . Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships as an example of what this collaborative effort looks like .
“ The event takes place at both Shawnee Sports Complex and the Barboursville Soccer Complex ,” he says . “ We cross-promote the entire region to athletes and families , knowing that because of the tournament setup , teams may have the opportunity to experience multiple communities .”
“ Thousands of fans from Wheeling and surrounding states attend home games ,” says John Parrish , director of corporate sales . “ Traveling fans and opposing teams contribute to local tourism by staying in hotels , dining at restaurants and shopping at local businesses .”
Parrish touches on the many ways minor league hockey is economically beneficial to Wheeling and surrounding cities .
“ The team employs coaches , administrative staff and game-day personnel , creating jobs in the area . Fans attending games buy tickets , merchandise , parking and food and beverages , directly putting money back into the local economy ,” he says . “ All vendors at the arena are owned and operated by local business owners . The Nailers collaborate with local businesses through sponsorship , advertising and promotional tie-ins .”
DJ Abisalih , broadcaster and director of media and community relations , emphasizes the importance of community engagement for the Nailers .
“ We take a lot of pride in how involved our players and staff are in the community ,” he says . “ Typically , players do between 40 and 50 different events each year .”
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