Mike's Message
Executive Director,
Greater Waco Sports Commission
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Dear GWSC Family,
Wow, can you believe it’s already May? Time flies when you’re having fun—and making an impact! Here in Waco, we’ve been bustling with activity this spring. From the exhilarating Glow Over Waco Run to the captivating Eclipse Over Texas at McLane, partnering with the City of Woodway for Arbofest, not to mention launching TEAM Waco and kicking off our new podcast series (stay tuned for the first episode this month!), it’s been a whirlwind of excitement.
We’ve also been hard at work planning Saturday’s upcoming Donut Dash. Amidst all this, I was privileged to represent our community at a national sports tourism convention in Portland. It was a fantastic opportunity to meet with various organizations and share why the Greater Waco area is the ideal place for their events. Some other exciting news from the convention was that Sports ETA released their “2023 State of the Industry Report”, revealing some notable findings:
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Sports-related travel expenditures jumped 11% from last year, reaching a staggering $52.5 billion in 2023.
- The number of sports travelers hit a record high of 204.9 million.
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The surge in sports tourism contributed to an overall growth in tourism, generating 73.5 million room nights.
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Impressively, Texas ranked as the second most impacted state by sports tourism, right behind Florida.
At GWSC, our commitment remains steadfast: establishing Waco as a top destination for these sporting events. We aim to provide our local athletes the chance to shine right here in their hometown, reducing the need to travel far for competitions. We're excited about the future and eager to explore more opportunities to bring events to Waco. If you're interested in partnering with us or want to know more about our initiatives, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can continue to make a significant impact in the sports tourism industry and in our community.
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