Oct. 10–Non-traditional sporting events such as paintball competition, dodge ball and drone racing are helping the south and southwest suburbs draw tourists and their spending power, according to the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In highlighting tourism-related events in the region, the bureau, and its annual meeting held in Tinley Park, noted that during the fiscal year that ended this past June 30, more than 1.2 million hotel room nights were sold, generating more than $105 million in revenue for area hotels.
That was down slightly from fiscal 2017, when 1.27 million hotel room nights were sold, generating $107 million in revenue, according to the bureau.
The 66 hotels in the Southland had average daily room rates of $87.22, up from $83.27 in fiscal 2017, according to the Lansing-based bureau.
The average occupancy rate of 65.8 percent was up slightly from 2017's rate of 65.6 percent, according to the bureau.
While the region attracts traditional ball and bat sports competitions, the bureau is becoming more successful in drawing offbeat events, Jim Garrett, the bureau's president and chief executive, said at the meeting.
"It's big business," he said of sports tourism.
This year, the Southland has played host to the World Wiffle Ball Championship, held in July in Midlothian; regional dodge ball competition held in early August in Orland Park, and two events held last month — regional drone racing in Matteson and the National X-Ball League's Midwest Paintball Championship in Oak Forest.
In the arena of more traditional sports, Garrett said that the Ho-Chunk Southland Sports Center in Lynwood will be making upgrades to host basketball and volleyball tournaments, and that the recently opened Roma Sports Club in Frankfort has more than 50,000 square feet of enclosed space for basketball, soccer and rugby, and will be adding six outdoor sports fields.
Garrett and the bureau have long pushed for the development of a large, multi-sport complex, which, he said at the meeting, would be a "game changer" and give the region "a much stronger competitive edge" in drawing sports tournaments.
During fiscal 2018, to market the Southland as a destination for sports events, bureau staff attended several trade shows, including the National Association of Sports Commissions in Minnesota; Travel, Events and Management in Sports in Florida and the U.S. Sports Congress in Arizona.
The region currently has just over 5,100 hotel rooms, and two are under construction, Garrett said. A 126-room Holiday Inn Express & Suites in Mokena and a 109-room Hampton Inn & Suites in Bridgeview are targeted to open early next year, he told the crowd of approximately 250 people.
He said that discussions are underway in other area communities about possible hotel development.
In April, the bureau launched its Visit Chicago Southland app, which offers visitors information about attractions, restaurants, hotels and events in the region.
The bureau has a budget of just under $2 million, of which more than half comes from a state grant of about $1.1 million. It also has funding agreements with 20 municipalities that share a portion of hotel room tax revenue with the bureau to assist in marketing efforts. The tax-sharing agreements represent 37 percent of the bureau's budget.
mnolan@southtownstar.com
