TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – From restaurants and hotels to high foot traffic and dollars spent at local businesses, the county is looking to expand and bring more to the area to drive up revenue.
Leon County leaders are optimistic after a close look at all the money brought in from the Savannah Bananas game last weekend.
County Commissioner Christian Caban said the numbers they’re seeing after such a big week show Leon County is bustling and ready to keep growing.
“Leon County tourism is on a roll,” Caban said. “We’re only in March and we’ve had an incredible year.”
More than $9 million and over 80,000 people swarmed the streets of Leon County last week for the Banana Ball festivities.
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Caban said major events like the Bananas game really mean a lot in terms of growth for residents and the community on a large scale.
“That generates revenue with our sales tax and that sales tax now we roll into projects and infrastructure and other economic development and so anytime you can get folks from outside of your community contributing to our tax base it allows us to keep cost of living low for residents that live here,” Caban.
And with the upcoming Professional Bull Riders Show on March 13, Caban said that could be the next big boost for the county.
The Professional Bull Riders will take center stage at Florida State next week, showcasing top athletes and hosting a concert featuring Jon Pardi and Miranda Lambert.
Vice President of Strategic Communication Andrew Giangola said they typically see about 25,000 people at some of their stadium shows and it’s a boost for not only them, but the cities they tour as well.
“These events generally bring multimillion dollars worth of economic impact so, it’s hotels, it’s rental cars, it’s restaurants, merchandise, all the activity that goes on when somebody goes into a market to visit,” Giangola said.
Caban said county officials hope to continue bringing major events like these to the area to drive up revenue for the community.
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