Economic Significance of College Baseball as a Tourism Attraction: A Pilot Study

1. Economic Significance of College Baseball as a Tourism Attraction:A Pilot Study Anthony W. Dixon

2. Introduction • Sport tourism: • “All forms of active and passive involvement in sporting activity, participated in casually or in an organized way for non-commercial or business reasons that necessitate travel away from home and work locality” (Standevan and DeKnop, 1999, p. 12)

3. Introduction • Three types of sport tourism: • Active • Passive/Event • Nostalgia

4. Introduction Primary motivation for hosting sporting events is the anticipated economic impact. U.S. event sport tourism generated $27 billion in 2001. In 2001, 38% of U.S. adults attended a sport event as spectator or participant, while on a trip of 50 miles or more.

5. Introduction • Future research: • Active and passive client profiles (Kurtzman & Zauhar, 1995) • Examine aspects of sporting event spectators (Getz, 1998) • Collegiate sporting event spectators and significance as tourism attractions (Irwin & Sandler, 1998) • Lack of research on U.S. college sporting events and as a community tourism attraction (Gibson et al., 2003)

6. Purpose • Why college baseball? • 32 of top 40 college universities with highest attendance (x=104,742) are in South Region • Statement of Purpose: • The purpose of this research is to determine whether college baseball is a tourism attraction and estimate the economic impact of the activity.

7. Research Questions RQ1: Is college baseball a tourism attraction? RQ2: Is there a difference between weekday and weekend game spectators? RQ3: What are expenditure patterns of non-local residents? RQ4: What is economic impact of college baseball spectators on the local economy?

8. Methods On-site sampling Systematic sampling with a random start Research assistants systematically collecting email addresses Participants sent link to online questionnaire N = 347 Response rate = 52.3%

9. Findings • Total sample: • 70% of respondents non-residents of study region • 64% of these respondents were non-students and non-residents • 36.5% of these respondents stayed overnight • Attendance = 140,040 • Estimated non-resident attendance = 98,168 • Average travel distance to stadium was 61 miles • Financially responsible for 1.6 people • Age = 41 • 71.4% college or graduate educated • 52.9% had annual household income $75,000 or above • 61.5% male; 38.5% female

10. Findings • Weekday games: • 60% non-residents of study area • 50.9% of these respondents were non-students/residents • 12.3% of these respondents stayed overnight • Estimated attendance = 34,120 non-resident/student • Overnight = 4,197 • Sport excursionists = 29,923 • Average travel distance was 33 miles • Financially responsible for 1.43 people

11. Findings • Weekend games: • 82% non-residents of study area* • 73% of these respondents were non-students/residents* • 51.6% of these respondents stayed overnight* • Estimated attendance = 64,075 non-resident/student • Overnight = 33,063 • Sport excursionists = 31,012 • Average travel distance was 93 miles* • Financially responsible for 1.84 people* * Significant at .05 alpha level.

12. Findings Average expenditures of non-local residents in study area. * Significant at .01 alpha level.

13. Findings • Economic impact of Clemson Baseball (2008) • Non-resident spending: $6,828,320 • Direct: $5,146,960 • Indirect: $1,105,016 • Induced: $698,046 • Total: $6,950,016 • Jobs: 105

14. Application • Tourism organizations • Develop relationship with University Athletic Departments • Market local attractions • Additional activity available to potential visitors • Initiate strategies to covert day trippers to overnight visitors • Local businesses • Develop relationship with University Athletic Departments • Sponsorship or other marketing activities • Local government • Foster relationship with University Athletic Departments

15. Application • Significant economic impact • Sport tourism as economic development strategy • Justify public subsidies to support promotion of college baseball • Expenditure patterns: • Athletic departments can use to increase sponsorships • Local businesses can use to develop more effective marketing strategies to target potential customers

16. Conclusion • Results indicate college baseball may be tourism attraction. • Weekday games mainly entertainment activity of local residents • Weekend games have large number of visitors staying overnight and day trippers • College baseball does provide significant economic impact on local economy. • Encourage communication between local government, university athletic departments and tourism organizations.

17. Questions