The Nokia Sugar Bowl championship game last January
"drew record crowds who stayed longer in the city and spent
more freely than in years past, pumping millions of dollars
into the local economy," according to Mary Judice of the New
Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, who cited an economic impact study
of the event showed that football visitors spent $70.1M on
food, lodging and entertainment for the 2000 championship
game, which was up 65% from the $42.5M spent by those
attending the '99 game. The 2000 game attracted 71,900 fans
who spent an average of $977 each "during their stay in New
Orleans." Univ. of New Orleans Economist & Dean Timothy
Ryan, who conducted the study sponsored by the Sugar Bowl
Committee, said that direct spending for this year's game
generated another $128.5M in secondary spending by employees
in tourism-related industries and by businesses catering to
fans, mostly visitors who "stayed longer than in previous
years." None of the impact figures in the economic study
included the cost of tickets to attend the event. Sugar
Bowl fans paid between $85 and $125 per ticket, while city
and state tax revenue amounted to $11.3M, with the state
receiving $7M (New Orleans TIMES-PICAYUNE, 8/18).
