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San Diego’s two post-season college football games combined to produce an economic impact of $41 million for the San Diego region in 2006. This figure was the result of a study conducted by the San Diego State University Center for Hospitality and Tourism Research. The games are organized by the San Diego Bowl Game Association. The 29th annual Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, which was played December 28 and featured the California Golden Bears and Texas A&M Aggies, generated $34.2 million in economic impact. Direct visitor spending totaled $17.7 million, while $16.5 million was derived from indirect spending. The study revealed that 41,050 fans traveled from outside the County of San Diego to attend the game. Total attendance at the Qualcomm Stadium event was 62,395. The 2nd annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, which was played December 19 and featured the TCU Horned Frogs and Northern Illinois Huskies, generated an economic impact of $6.8 million. Direct visitor spending totaled $3.54 million, while $3.3 million was derived from indirect spending. According to the study, 12,469 fans traveled from outside the County of San Diego to attend the game. Total attendance was 29,709. “Once again, the San Diego Bowl Game Association proved its importance to our community,” said 2006 President Doug Sawyer. “For 29 years now, the Holiday Bowl has played a significant economic role in the success of San Diego’s tourism industry. And with the addition of the Poinsettia Bowl two years ago and its pre-Christmas playing date, we are filling hotel rooms and providing patrons for restaurants and shops during two of San Diego’s slowest weeks of the tourism year.” The mission of the non-profit San Diego Bowl Game Association is to generate tourism, exposure, economic benefit and civic pride for San Diego and its citizens by presenting the nation’s most exciting and entertaining bowl games and festivals of events. Since its inception in 1978, the San Diego Bowl Game Association has created an impact of $439 million. For more information on the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, visit PacificLifeHolidayBowl.com. For the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, visit PoinsettiaBowl.net. |
