Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands, City of Sandusky, and MLF Honored as 2020-2021 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism
SANDUSKY, Ohio (Nov. 18, 2021) – Sports Destination Management, a leading sports publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, has announced the 2020-2021 Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism Presented by Traveling Teams. This year’s winners are responsible for contributing a more-than-welcome boost of over $400 million to the national economy over the past year.
Include among the winners are Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands, City of Sandusky, and Major League Fishing (MLF), for the August 11-14,2020 Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie event that was hosted at the Shelby Street Boat Ramp and Paper District Marina in Sandusky.
During the summer of 2020, MLF had to seek new tournament hosts after several events were in threat of being cancelled due to COVID-19 state mandates, such as those in Michigan and New York. Through quick planning with Lake Erie Shores & Islands and the City of Sandusky, several MLF tournaments relocated to Sandusky during that summer including the sixth and final regular-season event – the Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit at Lake Erie. This lucrative bass fishing Super Tournament featured nearly 200 anglers competing for a top award of $160,000. The 4-day tournament provided a much-needed estimated economic impact of $2.52 million for the region.
“It’s an honor to receive this award with the City of Sandusky and Major League Fishing, especially from an event where we had to quickly collaborate our efforts to overcome the challenges faced in the summer of 2020,” said Chris Lewis, Sports Tourism Manager for Lake Erie Shores & Islands. “Shores & Islands is well positioned to host year-round sporting events because of the teamwork with community partners. During 2020, industry experts predicted that the economic impact of sport tourism would help lead the way out of the pandemic, and that proved true here with hosting Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit.”
“The City of Sandusky plays host to multiple fishing tournaments of all sizes each year, but the 2020 Pro Tackle Warehouse Pro Circuit was a unique challenge with the ongoing pandemic and short turnaround,” stated Jason Werling, Recreation Superintendent for City of Sandusky. “We were happy and determined to help make a successful and safe event by providing the city’s boat launch for the start of the event and utilize the city’s Paper District Marina Amphitheater to showcase the weigh-in event as the anglers returned with their catch.”
All winners of awards have been recognized in a special feature published in the November/December 2021 issue of Sports Destination Management. The entire article with full details on the winners can also be found online at SportsDestinations.com.
For complete details about MLF, their tournament circuits and sponsors, visit MajorLeagueFishing.com. For more information on the numerous competitive sporting and charitable events taking place at Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands, visit Sports.SHORESandISLANDS.com. To learn more about the City of Sandusky, visit ci.sandusky.oh.us.
About Lake Erie Shores & Islands
Ohio’s Lake Erie Shores & Islands is the Midwest’s favorite getaway. This coastal destination boasts 152 miles of shoreline, the best fishing on the Great Lakes, welcoming communities, rich history, wine trail, and an abundance of family-friendly attractions. World-famous Cedar Point Amusement Park and Kalahari Resorts & Conventions call it home, along with indoor and outdoor water parks, animal parks, play centers, and more. Visitors enjoy ferries and cruises to Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass, and Kelleys Island. One of the country’s best areas for spring and fall bird migration, the area is overflowing with natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor recreation. Lake Erie Shores & Islands is also known as America’s Sports & Family Fun Capital® as the region has extraordinary year-round venues that organizers can combine sports travel with a family vacation.
About City of Sandusky
Sandusky, a “Welcoming City, sits at the mouth of Sandusky Bay and claims over 26 miles of Lake Erie shoreline. The City of Sandusky is home to robust tourism, manufacturing, and healthcare economies anchored primarily by lake recreation and Cedar Point. While best known as the home of Cedar Point Amusement Park, Sandusky developed as an industrial Lake Erie port town. Sandusky draws on its diverse historical identity to guide the way forward to grow as an inclusive and open-minded city.
About Major League Fishing
Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world’s largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America’s living rooms on CBS, the Discovery Channel, the Outdoor Channel, CBS Sports Network, the World Fishing Network, the Sportsman Channel and on-demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with offices in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world’s top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 13 countries. In 2019 MLF expanded its portfolio of catch, weigh and immediately release events to include the sport’s strongest five-biggest-fish format tournament circuits. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams, and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care.
Major League Fishing – WE ARE Bass Fishing™
About Sports Destination Management
Sports Destination Management is written for the largest audience of sports event managers and tournament directors in the sports tourism market and maintains a focus on the important issues surrounding event location decisions and event management. With content from experts and thought leaders, SDM provides in-depth coverage of sports event planning and execution through incisive and relevant articles as well as insightful, real-world case studies showcasing best practices and successful event production.
In addition to the publication, SDM offers extensive digital resources through www.sportsdestinations.com and the e-newsletter SDM Blitz, both providing decision support tools for organizers to ensure successful events at all levels of play.
#####
ABOUT SHORES & ISLANDS OHIO
Shores & Islands Ohio is the Midwest’s favorite getaway. This coastal destination boasts 152 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, the best fishing on the Great Lakes, welcoming communities, rich history, a wine trail, and an abundance of family-friendly attractions. World-famous Cedar Point Amusement Park calls it home, along with Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, other indoor and outdoor water parks, animal parks, sports venues, and more. Visitors enjoy ferries and cruises to Put-in-Bay, Middle Bass, and Kelleys Island. One of the country’s best areas for spring and fall bird migration, the area is overflowing with natural beauty and opportunities for outdoor recreation. More at SHORESandISLANDS.com
For more information, contact:
Christopher Lewis, Lake Erie Shores & Islands Sports Tourism Manager
Phone: 419.624.6909
Email: chris@shoresandislands.com,
Jill Bauer, Public Relations Manager
Shores & Islands Ohio
Phone: 419.625.9495
Email: jill@shoresandislands.com
