 San Diego’s two post-season college football games combined to produce an economic impact of $41.5 million for the San Diego region in 2007. 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 30th annual Pacific Life Holiday Bowl, which was played December 27 and featured the Texas Longhorns and Arizona State Sun Devils, generated $30.2 million in economic impact. Direct visitor spending totaled $15.7 million, while $14.6 million was derived from indirect spending. The study revealed that 30,294 fans traveled from outside the County of San Diego to attend the game. Total attendance at the Qualcomm Stadium event was 64,020. The 3rd annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, which was played December 20 and featured the Naval Academy Midshipmen and University of Utah Utes, generated an economic impact of $11.3 million. Direct visitor spending totaled $5.8 million, while $5.4 million was derived from indirect spending. According to the study, 17,217 fans traveled from outside the County of San Diego to attend the game. Total attendance was 39,129. “Once again, the San Diego Bowl Game Association proved its importance to our community,” said 2007 President Rudy Castruita. “For 30 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 three 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 $480 million. |
