Washington Nationals’s qualification to the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series is set to generate a $6.5m economic impact for Washington DC.
Destination DC (DDC), the official destination marketing organisation for the US capital city, has announced that the impact will come from two World Series home games against the Houston Astros on Friday 25 October and Saturday 26 October.
Both matches will be played at Nationals Park in the Capitol Riverfront neighbourhood in south-east DC with the potential of a fifth game on Sunday 27 October.
“The World Series is an amazing opportunity for the Washington Nationals, their fans and the economic impact for the nation’s capital,” said Elliott L. Ferguson II, president and CEO, Destination DC.
“We’re excited to showcase Washington DC as a premier sports city and ensure fan engagement opportunities at local hotels, restaurants and other businesses are promoted on washington.org/world-series throughout the postseason. Let’s go, Nats!”
Opened in 2008, Nationals Park is one of the largest venues in DC, boasting the capacity for nearly 44,000 guests, including standing room.
Emotional lift for DC
The estimated economic impact of $6.5m is based off Tourism Economics’s impact calculator, which measures total number of visitors to the city, length and type of the event.
DDC estimates between 15% and 22% of visitors will arrive from out of town.
“Beyond the great emotional lift, the World Series is going to translate into lots of economic activity for our city,” said Gregory McCarthy, senior vice president of community engagement, Washington Nationals.
“Residents will be employed; the city will collect millions in taxes and local businesses will benefit. We’re delighted that the city’s investment in baseball is yielding such benefits.”
DDC is promoting a variety of fan experiences on washington.org/world-series, with more than 50 deals and discounts for food and beverage, hotels, and museums.
Image: Washington Nationals/Washington.org
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