Molly Belmont, Director of Marketing
Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Phone: 518-434-1217 x 203
Email: mbelmont@albany.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2017
2017 Hall of Famers Announced
Baseball Hall of Famer brings thousands of die-hards to region each year
2017 Hall of Famers Announced
Baseball Hall of Famer brings thousands of die-hards to region each yearALBANY, NY - The Baseball Hall of Fame has announced this year's inductees: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Ivan Rodriguez, John Schuerholz, and Bud Selig. The announcement is viewed by many as the official start of the baseball season, with die-hard fans from across the country booking trips to Cooperstown to see their heroes honored.
Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACCVB) is preparing to welcome visitors to Albany for Induction Weekend at the National Baseball Hall of Fame July 28-30, bringing more than $1.2 million in spending to the area. Because of its close proximity, and convenient access to airport and rail, Albany is a natural arrival point for baseball fans.
"With sports fans from around the world wanting to attend the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction each year, Albany is the closest gateway city to Cooperstown, with an international airport and plenty of quality hotels for Sports Travel and Tours' travelers to access easily," says Jay Smith, President of Sports Travel and Tours, the official licensed travel company of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
According to the Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) Event Impact Calculator, a tool that measures the economic value of an event and calculates its return to local taxes, the 2016 event accounted for:
• 1300 room nights at area hotels in Albany County
• $768,782 in direct spending at hotels, transportation, business services, etc.
• $523,650 in indirect spending at gas stations, restaurants, etc.
• $91,979 in local tax revenue for Albany County
The same number of hotel rooms are anticipated for this year's event.
"Albany County is also convenient for us to include a few additional packages that include Yankee Stadium and Citi Field in New York, as well as Fenway Park in Boston being just a few hours away." Packages include travel, accommodations, and admissions. For more information, visit SportsTravelandTours.com.
About the ACCVB
The Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc. was established in 1976 to promote the civic and commercial progress of the community through increased development of conventions and tourism. ACCVB currently represents more than 300 member businesses and assists each year in hundreds of regional meetings. ACCVB also operates the Albany Heritage Area Visitors Center, Henry Hudson Planetarium, and the Albany International Airport Information Center. For more information, call 518-434-1217 or 800-258-3582 or visit www.albany.org.
Related Link: http://www.albany.org/events/annual-events-and-festivals/hof-weekend/