Sporting events expected to boost Arizona’s tourism revenue beyond the big game
ARIZONA SUPER BOWL
UPDATED: FEBRUARY 10, 2023 AT 7:54 PM
General view of State Farm Stadium on January 28, 2023 in Glendale, Arizona. State Farm Stadium will host NFL Super Bowl LVII on February 12th. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
This is the final segment of KTAR News’ All Eyes on AZ leading up to the big game. This week’s tourism article is brought to you by PNC Bank.
PHOENIX – More than 120,000 people descended on the Valley in 2015 when the big game was last played in Glendale.
The Arizona Department of Tourism expects even higher attendance and revenue for the state this year from Sunday’s main event at State Farm Stadium, along with the Worlds Phoenix Open.
“When we talk about visits, we’re talking over 120,000 here, more people than seats to the game, so we love that,” said Debbie Johnson, director of the Arizona Office of Tourism KTAR 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Evening News on Friday. “But what we also love is that you think of the 115 million people worldwide and probably more than that this year who will be watching this game and especially Arizona.
“We love that. It brings people into our economy, not just for that game, but for years after that who’ve watched us because of that game.”
The 2015 matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots drew 114.4 viewers, the most on a single network in US television history at the time.
“We had nearly $720 million in revenue for our economic impact on our state (in 2015), so all of that money goes into our state and benefits our residents who live here, and that’s a great cause for everyone,” Johnson said.
The $719 million generated was the most driven by a single event in the state’s history, according to the Phoenix Business Journal. In 2015, Arizona saw an 8.8% year-end tourism tax increase from 2014.
The Valley has been busy all week through Sunday with concerts, NFL Experience events and other football-themed celebrations. Less than two weeks after the final whistle at State Farm Stadium, the Spring Training games will begin as the state continues to watch.
Pointing out that Arizona is offering its perfect tourism weather this week to help the cause, Johnson had some recommendations for tourists looking to get out of town for the day — but probably not on Sunday.
She suggested the Grand Canyon, Whiskey Row in Prescott, the wineries in the Verde Valley and Kartchner Caverns in Bisbee as worthwhile day trips. Not a bad idea for out-of-towners avoiding the increased traffic at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday as the airport prepares for its busiest day of the year with up to 180,000 people.