New $11.3M fund strengthens sports tourism in Delaware
DELAWARE – “The legislators who created it and included it in the bond bill really saw how important sports tourism can be for the state,” Welch said.
More than $11 million dollars in state funding will establish the Delaware Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund. Delaware Tourism Office Director Jessica Welch said the new funding provides an opportunity to further invest in sports venues statewide and attract more visitors. “We’ll be looking for projects that have other funding sources, whether private or public, that will have a true benefit to tourism in the state. That means they’ll have heads in beds, people staying in hotels,” she said.
Welch added that in recent years, Delaware has proven itself to be a tourist hotspot by hosting several national sporting events. She credited that to what many call the Delaware way. “It’s a very family-friendly atmosphere. Our small businesses, restaurants, and hotels are often run by mom and pop. I think that offers for a very welcoming environment for people that come here,” Welch said.
Rehoboth Beach/Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce President Carol Everhart said that those events have a ripple effect on the local economy. “It’s in the millions and millions of dollars what a visitor means to a destination. Rehoboth, Dewey, and the resort area is an amazing destination. Sports will do the same thing here,” she said.
Everhart told 47ABC that those trips stand as an introduction for many to the first state, but often lead to them making a permanent comeback. “Especially in Sussex County, they come for the beach, and they liked it. Now they’re coming back in droves to buy homes and retire here,” she said.
The Delaware Tourism Office said the fund will also support small scale sporting events, including travel team tournaments during the summer.
DTO will be holding two webinars for prospective applicants to learn more about the fund. Those dates are Wednesday, February 21 at 11 a.m. and Wednesday, February 28 at 1 p.m.
Applications will start being accepted March 1st.
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