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New Castle County invests $100,000 from ARPA funds in sports tourism

County, Greater Wilmington CVB, and other tourism officials announce $100,000 investment in sports tourism.
Rachel Sawicki
/
Delaware Public Media
County, Greater Wilmington CVB, and other tourism officials announce $100,000 investment in sports tourism.

New Castle County gives $100,000 in ARPA funds to the Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau to support sports tourism.

The money will be used to create a video marketing the county’s sports tourism assets like the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington and the STATS Sports Complex in Bear.

Greater Wilmington CVB Executive Director Jennifer Boes says the video campaign will also highlight other things to do in New Castle County like dining, tax-free shopping, and other attractions like the Wilmington Riverfront.

“It’s a big investment in sports tourism, especially when you consider the $12 million sports tourism capital fund that the state created," Boes says. "So together, the capital fund creates the space and the money that we just got from the county executive creates the marketing arm of it.”

The Delaware Tourism office received 18 applications totaling $54 million all looking for a piece of that $12 million to build new facilities.

Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch says annual state sports tourism revenue over the last several years is estimated to have surpassed $20 million, and the state wants to remain competitive in the region.

“We might not have a Lincoln Financial Field to host a giant event like that, but we have really great facilities here in New Castle County and throughout the state," Welch says. "Teams can come here and save a lot of money compared to if they go to Maryland or Pennsylvania or New Jersey or New York.”

County Executive Matt Meyer says even small investments in sports tourism can yield a big return.

“The goal of this is not necessarily to attract ‘the big one,’ like another BMW Championship, another big golf, tennis tournament, but if it does that’s not so bad either. And keep in mind a single investment like this, if it attracts a single event like that we are making the money back for the taxpayer many times over." Meyer says. "$100,000 investment brings one or two tournaments, we’re probably getting a return on it.”

Meyer notes the county is actively working to build an indoor track facility in the coming years and is also considering a proposal to build an olympic size swim facility.

Rachel Sawicki was born and raised in Camden, Delaware and attended the Caesar Rodney School District. They graduated from the University of Delaware in 2021 with a double degree in Communications and English and as a leader in the Student Television Network, WVUD and The Review.