Patriots playoff football boosts hotel business in Providence

SATURDAY'S PLAYOFF game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens has resulted in 834 hotel room nights contracted in Providence alone, according to the R.I. Sports Commission, a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.
SATURDAY'S PLAYOFF game between the New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens has resulted in 834 hotel room nights contracted in Providence alone, according to the R.I. Sports Commission, a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

PROVIDENCE – Providence has contracted 834 hotel room nights associated with Saturday’s New England Patriots and Baltimore Ravens playoff game in Foxborough, according to the R.I. Sports Commission, a division of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The commission said playoff football has kicked off a “lucrative winter sports season” for the Providence-Warwick area, and that sporting events alone are expected to generate nearly 7,400 hotel room nights in January. The figure does not include most Baltimore fans, however, as the commission expects they will book rooms outside the reserved hotel room blocks.
“Between the Baltimore team, members of the media and other related groups, Providence has contracted 834 hotel rooms nights associated with Saturday’s game,” John Gibbons, executive director of the sports commission, said in a statement. “We are also conducting a targeted marketing blitz in the Baltimore area, trying to convince fans attending the game to stay in Providence.”
The bureau has turned to Facebook, TripAdvisor and Baltimore media to attract Baltimore fans to Providence, publicizing GoProvidence.com, which offers everything from restaurant and hotel information to transportation options, including T.F. Green Airport, he said. The bureau also is posting visitor information on social media in the Baltimore area.

Football is not the only sport attracting visitors to the region.

The bureau said the National Field Hockey Coaches Association is holding its annual convention Jan. 14 to 18, with more than 400 participants expected to generate at least 435 room nights.
Then, from Jan. 16 to 19, the state will host the 46th annual John W. Kennedy Memorial Hockey Tournament. Presented by Legacy Global Sports, the tournament will attract 3,500 players (plus friends and family). The event is expected to generate 3,600 room nights.
Finally, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, Providence will again welcome the cheerleading and dance competition Athletic Championships, expected to attract nearly 5,000 competitors to the region, generating an additional 2,500 room nights for the area.

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Gibbons said the commission loves it when a pro team makes the playoffs.

“But, when it combines with perhaps lesser-known but certainly significant events in the community, it’s a great opportunity for meaningful economic impact,” he said.

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