Thousands Of Fiesta Bowl Fans Boost Economy In Glendale

GLENDALE, AZ---The city of Glendale welcomed thousands of out-of-state Stanford and Oklahoma State fans to an exciting overtime Fiesta Bowl game.  These fans spent a lot of their time off the field at Glendale businesses and hotels, providing a much-needed economic boost to the local economy and tourism industry.

A survey by Glendale’s tourism officials found Glendale hotels sold out or were near capacity. Research also indicates that fans stayed an average of three nights or more.  In addition, out-of-state travelers requested information on the city, Valley and state, and Glendale tourism staff assisted more than 2,900 visitors. This is a 137 percent increase from the previous month. Glendale’s Web sites had a 15 percent increase from the previous month in visitor traffic with more than 550,000 people visiting the city’s Web sites since Dec. 1.

A new social media outreach tool this year allowed the city to reach more than 200,000 fans through Twitter and Facebook. Weekly tweets and posts were targeted to various alumni and university Twitter followers and Facebook users. Information such as where to stay, events and activities and area destination points were provided through these tools.

“The Fiesta Bowl once again helped fill hotel room nights, giving us a great start to the New Year,” said Glendale Convention & Visitors Bureau Manager Lorraine Pino. “In addition, this BCS bowl game brings national exposure to Glendale and the West Valley, showcasing all the great amenities and attractions we have to offer.”