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San Diego’s two post-season college football games combined to produce an economic impact of $51.3 million for the San Diego region in 2009. 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 32nd annual Holiday Bowl, which was played December 30 and featured the Arizona Wildcats and Nebraska Cornhuskers, generated $40.7 million in economic impact. Direct visitor spending totaled $21.1 million, while $19.6 million was derived from indirect spending. The study revealed that 43,944 fans traveled from outside the County of San Diego to attend the game. Total attendance at the Qualcomm Stadium event was 64,607.
The 5th annual San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, which was played December 23 and featured the Utah Utes and the California Golden Bears, generated an economic impact of $10.59 million. Direct visitor spending totaled $5.49 million, while $5.1 million was derived from indirect spending. Total attendance was 32,665.
“Once again, the San Diego Bowl Game Association proved its importance to our community,” said 2009 President Barbara Warden. “For 32 years now, the Bridgepoint Education 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 five 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 $583 million.
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