Chattanooga Tourism Co. discusses BlueCross Bowl’s local impact

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The BlueCross Bowl has taken over Finley Stadium for the third year with teams and families crowding in support.

The president & CEO of the Chattanooga Tourism Co. said this will leave a $3 million impact over three days.

Chattanooga will welcome over 22,000 athletes and fans.

This will affect many of the local businesses which will bring in commerce for the city.

Local teams competing in this year’s Bowl include Baylor, Boyd Buchanan, McCallie, and South Pittsburg.

With four local teams out of 18, that leaves 14 more visiting teams traveling in to play.

“We’ve got four local teams out of 18 teams. So that means we got 14 local teams from across the state. From Memphis to Mountain City. They’re coming in early, they’re going to be watching games here, and they’re staying a few nights in our hotels… spending time in our restaurants. And we’re just trying to create the perfect experience for them both inside this stadium and outside the stadium,” President & CEO of The Chattanooga Tourism Co. Barry White said.

The Chattanooga Tourism Co. hopes to see an influx of travelers enjoying local sites during their trips.

“They’re going to go see our city and spend some time in our community. Hopefully if they don’t get to do it this trip, they’ll come back and visit. They’re spending money and supporting our local economy. That’s what this is all about from a tourism aspect,” White said.

Games are scheduled until December 2.