New events and growth in existing ones led to a record year for sports tourism spending in the Wenatchee Valley in 2014. Tourism economic impact for tournaments and events totaled $7, 575, 240, up 3.0% over 2013 according to Wenatchee Valley Sports estimates. “The key once again was the variety of opportunities here for event organizers” noted Matt Kearny, sports tourism coordinator for the Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Of the top ten events of the year, nine represented different sports, which is a key component moving forward when showcasing our area for potential future events.” The top 10 included running, cycling, swimming, soccer and figure skating, combined with others that have a long history here, such as youth baseball, softball, skiing and the Special Olympics Washington Winter Games. Overall, nearly 50,000 visiting participants, their accompaniment and out of area fans attended 163 events. This resulted in 26,353 hotel room nights, an increase of 4.3% over 2013. Both the economic impact and room count numbers are the highest in the Wenatchee Valley since tracking began in 2007.
These numbers are for tournaments and events only, and also do not track spending by locals.