Premier sporting events continue bringing big crowds and dollars to Pinellas County, although a storm-damaged facility could present a new hurdle.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater (VSPC) announced Wednesday that 132 athletic contests generated a $111.35 million direct economic impact throughout fiscal year 2024. Shuffleboard, softball and cycling fans contributed to the windfall.
World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Royal Rumble, held in January at Tropicana Field, kept local cash registers ringing to the tune of $47 million. The marquee event also brought over 48,000 people from all 50 states and 40 countries to St. Petersburg.
“I just want to reemphasize that the Royal Rumble was a big deal for us,” said Brian Lowack, CEO of VSPC. “I think we all saw the impact that had. More than that, it showed St. Pete-Clearwater can pull off massive worldwide events.”
The Jan. 27 Royal Rumble brought 48,044 people from all 50 states and 40 countries to Tropicana Field – when it still had a roof. Photo: Visit St. Pete/Clearwater.
However, Caleb Peterson, senior manager of VSPC’s Sports Commission, spotlighted several lesser-known events that helped keep area restaurants and hotels full to the Tourism Development Council (TDC). The previous fiscal year began in October 2023, when the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club celebrated its 100th birthday by hosting the sport’s world championships.
Peterson said the International Shuffleboard Association’s event attracted people from Brazil and several European companies. He also noted that VSPC partnered with “some business owners in downtown St. Pete” to host a unique cycling race.
Nathan Stonecipher, co-owner of Green Bench Brewing, and Michael Rideout, founder of Mad Coffee, spent years working behind the scenes to bring professional cycling to the city. Their perseverance paid off as the CRIT Championship attracted thousands of people to the EDGE District.
Peterson also highlighted the J/70 World Championship yacht races, held at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, a prominent professional volleyball tournament hosted by the Sand Key Resort on Clearwater Beach and the collegiate American Baseball Championship in Clearwater.
Tropicana Field also hosted the Gasparilla Gymnastics Classic. Peterson said the event attracts 16,000 people annually.
Top-tier College softball tournaments were again a big win for Pinellas. ESPN broadcasted the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational, while the MLB (Major League Baseball) Network highlighted the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic.
The Trop’s impact
The 132 sporting events – which excludes professional baseball and the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg – attracted 181,680 overnight visitors who purchased 177,098 hotel rooms and short term rentals. Peterson expects to host between 125 and 130 in fiscal year 2025.
“We’re going to lose a few because Tropicana (Field) is out of commission,” he said of the storm-damaged ballpark. “Some of the larger events we host are at the stadium.”
The county commission belatedly approved a bond authorization to finance its contribution to a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium a day before the meeting. “That just highlights the importance of the decision we made last night,” Commissioner Brian Scott told the TDC.
Clearwater Mayor Bruce Rector believes beach volleyball tournaments could help fill the gap. Russ Kimball, CEO of the Sheraton Sand Key Resort, agreed with that sentiment.
Kimball also stressed the importance of sports to the local tourism industry. “Meetings are great, but this is really where it is, too,” he said.
An aerial view of the Toytown site highlights its proximity to I-275 and major employers. Image: Pinellas County Government.
Toytown
A former landfill in north St. Petersburg could provide a boost. The county received $15 million from the Florida Legislature in April 2022 to transform the 240-acre Toytown site into a youth sports center.
The county-owned landfill near I-275 and Roosevelt Boulevard closed in 1983. However, environmental remediation has impeded development.
Lowack said officials are accepting proposals for a youth sports complex through mid-January. He noted there are “simply not enough fields” in surrounding counties.
“A number of other sports developments have been constructed on former landfills throughout the country,” Lowack continued. “We want to see what that looks like here in Pinellas County.”
Additional tourism highlights
Sporting events were just one aspect of an industry that generated $11.2 billion in Pinellas through fiscal year 2024. That surpassed the previous year’s benchmark.
Over 15.4 million visitors provided $6.4 billion in direct spending and paid more than $1.6 billion for 6.4 million overnight accommodations. Pinellas collected $96 million in bed taxes – a 6% surcharge overnight stays – surpassing the $95 million benchmark for the third consecutive year.
Officials must dedicate the money to marketing and capital projects that support visitation. Those include a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium in St. Petersburg and a long-anticipated new spring training complex for the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater.
