Revenue from sports in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach has skyrocketed this year. Only half-way through 2011, the revenue reported by the Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission is $13.8 million, which exceeds the total 2010 revenue by $1 million.
"When you've got a beach and you can come play ball at the same time, it's hard to compete with that," states Orange Beach Mayor Tony Kennon at AL.com. Mayor Kennon hopes to see Gulf Shores and Orange Beach become the youth sports capital of the South and possibly the nation. Families appreciate the fact that the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach areas are family-oriented vacation destinations.
Both the Gulf Shores Sportsplex and the Orange Beach Sportsplex have had excellent schedules this year. The Orange Beach Sportsplex located at 4385 William Silvers Parkway opened in the spring of 2001 and has hosted SEC teams, NCAA teams, and teams from such universities as the University of South Alabama, Florida State University, and Southeastern Louisiana University. Several SEC soccer tournaments have been held there, as well as the NCAA Men's and Women's Soccer Tournaments.
The Gulf Shores Sportsplex, located at 19025 County Road 6 West, hosted the NAIA Softball National Championship this May and has been the site of many other competitions for football, baseball, softball, track, and soccer. In addition to the Sportsplex, the George C. Meyer Tennis Center, and Johnnie Sims Park located in Gulf Shores offer many additional sporting venues.
The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission is very active in promoting our area and works with teams, coaches and fans to market the sports facilities. They are instrumental in coordinating special rates and promoting local hotels, restaurants, shopping, and recreation. The Sports Commission is actually a partnership between Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism, Alabama Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce, and the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. In July of this year, the Sports Commission became an official corporate sponsor of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Sports Commission's report for the first half of 2011 stated that 39,724 room nights were generated by sports activities which resulted in $6.3 million in lodging revenue. There was another $7.5 million generated in additional spending by athletes and visitors. The trend will continue as the events scheduled for the rest of the year are held. You can view a schedule along with special rates and event details on the Sports Commission's website.
Records are being broken in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach! Not only sports records, but some very good revenue records. This is a perfect time to live and invest in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach! I'm ready with great real estate options for you. Give me a call today. Lance Steffek: 251-981-2225.
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