Hotels have been booked for months. Restaurants are expecting a rush. "The economic impact of this tournament is unbelievable," said Terrell Ellis, a fundraiser for the Kanawha-Charleston Soccer Foundation.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston consultant Terrell Ellis figures her family spent more than $2,500 at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region 1 Championships in Portland, Maine, last year.
A hotel room cost $125 a night. There were meals, entertainment and a side trip to the Maine Coast. More than 10,000 people attended the six-day event.
Next week, a similar number of youth soccer players and their families are expected to converge on Barboursville for this year's Region 1 tournament.
Hotels are already booked from Charleston to Ashland, Ky., and Portsmouth, Ohio. The economic impact to the region is expected to be close to $12 million.
"The economic impact of this tournament is unbelievable," said Ellis, a fundraiser for the Kanawha-Charleston Soccer Foundation. "People who come to this event have a lot of disposable income. They're staying in hotels, eating out, paying for entertainment."
Patricia Bradley-Pitrolo, who heads the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau, said hotels, including those in downtown Charleston, have been booked for months because of the soccer tournament.
Those attending the event will receive pamphlets about Charleston activities. The tourism bureau is promoting the new West Virginia State Museum, Clay Center and other attractions.
About 280 youth soccer teams from 13 states plan to compete in the Region 1 championships, starting Thursday.
That translates to about 4,000 and another 10,000 family members, coaches and referees. States represented include West Virginia, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Soccer games usually last about two hours. It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Charleston to the two tournament sites -- the Cabell County 4-H camp in Barboursville and the YMCA Kennedy Center on W.Va. 2.
Soccer teams will play only one game each day for the first few days. That leaves families with plenty of time for sightseeing, dining and shopping.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Charleston consultant Terrell Ellis figures her family spent more than $2,500 at the
U.S. Youth Soccer Region 1 Championships in Portland, Maine, last year.
A hotel room cost $125 a night. There were meals, entertainment and a side trip to the Maine Coast. More than 10,000 people attended the six-day event.
Next week, a similar number of youth soccer players and their families are expected to converge on Barboursville for this year's Region 1 tournament.
Hotels are already booked from Charleston to Ashland, Ky., and Portsmouth, Ohio. The economic impact to the region is expected to be close to $12 million.
"The economic impact of this tournament is unbelievable," said Ellis, a fundraiser for the Kanawha-Charleston Soccer Foundation. "People who come to this event have a lot of disposable income. They're staying in hotels, eating out, paying for entertainment."
Patricia Bradley-Pitrolo, who heads the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau, said hotels, including those in downtown Charleston, have been booked for months because of the soccer tournament.
Those attending the event will receive pamphlets about Charleston activities. The tourism bureau is promoting the new West Virginia State Museum, Clay Center and other attractions.
About 280 youth soccer teams from 13 states plan to compete in the Region 1 championships, starting Thursday.
That translates to about 4,000 and another 10,000 family members, coaches and referees. States represented include West Virginia, Virginia, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Soccer games usually last about two hours. It takes about 40 minutes to drive from Charleston to the two tournament sites -- the Cabell County 4-H camp in Barboursville and the YMCA Kennedy Center on W.Va. 2.
Soccer teams will play only one game each day for the first few days. That leaves families with plenty of time for sightseeing, dining and shopping.
"We don't expect they'll be sitting in Barboursville all day," Bradley-Pitrolo said. "They'll be coming back here, enjoying themselves and spending money. We've got so much to offer families."
Tourism officials hope Charleston's July 4 festivities will keep soccer players and fans in town.
On Thursday, two bands -- Comparsa and The Soul Doctors -- will play at the free "Live on the Levee" concert at Haddad Riverfront Park.
On July 4, there will be two fireworks shows -- at Appalachian Power Park and Haddad.
The city-sponsored fireworks show is expected to last 20 minutes and will cost $20,000. The baseball stadium's fireworks will start after the West Virginia Power game.
"We're probably the only place around that will have two fireworks shows," said Rod Blackstone, an assistant to Charleston Mayor Danny Jones. "It's the biggest, most comprehensive fireworks show around, and it's worth coming down here for."
Another reason for soccer tournament players and fans to return to Charleston: The West Virginia Chaos, Charleston semi-pro soccer team, has home games Thursday and Friday at Schoenbaum Stadium at Coonskin Park. The games start at 7:30 p.m.
Tyson Compton, director of the Cabell-Huntington Convention and Visitors Bureau is encouraging businesses to contact his agency if they want to be included on the tournament Web site (www.westvirginia2009.com) list of restaurants, retailers and entertainment venues.
"I especially encourage restaurants to be ready," Compton said. "One thing that all of these folks will be doing a lot of is eating out. With this being the July 4 holiday, restaurants in the area will want to have an ample supply of stock on hand."
Reach Eric Eyre at erice...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4869.
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