Diamonds & Dreams: Seminole County, FL
Playing up sports to introduce visitors to the destination
Sports tourism — and youth baseball in particular — makes up a significant portion of visitation and overnight stays in Seminole County, Florida. In the 2023 fiscal year alone, sports brought in more than 200,000 visitors, thanks in no small part to substantial community investment. With a possible tourism improvement district and new indoor sports complex on the horizon, the team at Orlando North is analyzing destination data to uncover the broader community impact of sports tourism and the greater potential to elevate quality of place.
Stakeholders play ball with sports tourism in Central Florida
Sports tourism — and youth baseball in particular — makes up a significant portion of visitation and overnight stays in Seminole County, Florida. In the 2023 fiscal year alone, sports brought in more than 200,000 visitors, thanks in no small part to substantial community investment.
With a possible tourism improvement district and new indoor sports complex on the horizon, the team at Orlando North is analyzing destination data to uncover the broader community impact of sports tourism and the greater potential to elevate quality of place.
What's at play in Seminole County?
Situated in the northeast corner of the greater Orlando metro area, Seminole County is home to about half a million people and is less than an hour’s drive from both the Atlantic Coast and Central Florida’s famous theme parks.
Since opening the 100-acre Boombah Sports Complex in 2016, the facility has welcomed more than 400 tournaments, generating more than $210 million in estimated economic impact.
Next up, officials plan to use a tourism improvement district to fund a new indoor sports complex on a 30-acre parcel of county-owned land in Sanford, the largest of Seminole County’s seven cities.
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