EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Bowl season is in full effect and the countdown to the 91st annual Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl continues with the big game just a couple days away.
Regardless of each year’s matchup, the game adds a late-year boost to the El Paso region’s economy.
“(The) influx of visitors that we see late in the fourth quarter (of the year) is a great boost to our economy. Obviously, it’s good for our hotels and our restaurants. People rent cars and they shop, so this is exactly the time you’d want (a) boost in a softer period,” said Brooke Underwood, executive director for Visit El Paso, the tourist information center for the Sun City.
Underwood said that the schools featured at the Sun Bowl game each draw a good turnout from their alumni associations and from the local community.
This year’s Sun Bowl will feature the University of Washington Huskies and the Louisville Cardinals. The game will be played at noon on Tuesday, Dec . 31 at the Sun Bowl stadium.
Underwood said the El Paso region will continue to see an economic boost from the Sun Bowl game late in the year, combined with a strengthening tourism sector that has resulted from increased investment and revitalization efforts for El Paso landmarks.
“We’ve seen assets grow and different amenities like WinterFest grow, in size and scope, because of this impact we get late in the fourth quarter,” Underwood said. “Hotel developers want to come into markets like that where it’s a little bit more stable than it would be in other markets that don’t have big draws like this. So this is really important. The Sun Bowl does a number of things throughout the year, but the ball game at the end of the year really contributes to the things that you and I enjoy as citizens as well.”
With the Sun Bowl game set on New Year’s Eve (NYE) day, and new events like the inaugural ball drop at WinterFest in Downtown El Paso, Underwood said they will look to capitalize on keeping visitors a few extra days for an added boost.
“Nothing makes a tourism marketer salivate more than additional add-on nights. And so the fact that people will stay an additional night where they typically leave, they drive out that afternoon or fly out that night. If we could (instead) get one or two more days out of their stay, that definitely contributes to more dollars spent in our community — not just on hotels, but in all the other ancillary, revenue streams as well. So, that (New Year’s Eve) ball drop is a great opportunity. It’s in Downtown El Paso, just steps away from an ice skating rink and all the other WinterFest activities. So definitely, we encourage people to take in all that Downtown has to offer,” Underwood said.
To learn more about the Sun Bowl game or to buy tickets you can visit their website by clicking here.
To learn of other events related to El Paso’s WinterFest, you can visit their website by clicking here.
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