THE WILDWOODS – The Wildwoods are an award-winning mecca for youth sports events, proven by its recent, third consecutive Sports Destination Management Award in the category of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism.
Written for sports event managers and organizers, ‘Sports Destination Management’ is a national print and digital online magazine which provides planning and location strategies essential to hosting successful events.
This year’s Sports Destination Management Award focused on one of many youth sporting events unique to the Wildwoods – the Cape Express Beach Blast Sand Soccer Tournament – taking place every year on the Wildwoods beach since 2002. This two-day June event features over 9,500 participants and draws 11,500 spectators, prompting organizers to add another event – the MORE Beach Blast Soccer Tournament, which took place in July 2017, and drew additional 4,500 participants. According to organizers, the Beach Blast Sand Soccer Tournament transformed that last weekend in June to one of the most important revenue-producing periods of the entire summer season, selling out over 7,000 hotel rooms and filling up restaurants, retail shops and attractions with participants and guests who traveled to the island specifically for that tournament.
This year’s list of winners of the Sports Destination Management Award are responsible for contributing more than $400 million to the national economy over the past year. The Cape Express Beach Blast Sand Soccer Tournament generated a total of 7,093 hotel room bookings, and well over $5.1 million in total economic impact to the Wildwoods.
“This year’s nominations were incredible,” said Sports Destination Management publisher Fonda Johnson. “We were amazed not just by the sheer volume of events, but by the scope. We saw an amazing array of entries – from team to individual, from youth to seniors, and across all disciplines and all levels of play.”
For more information and a complete list of 2017 winners, please visit www.SportsDestinations.com.
For additional information about the Wildwoods, visit www.WildwoodsNJ.com or call (800) 992-9732.
