Florida-Georgia Economic Impact Tops $35M, A $2M Increase
When it comes to the annual football game the city of Jacksonville has hosted for 82 consecutive years, there’s more than just yards gained and points scored on the gridiron. The citizens of Jacksonville benefit greatly from the economic wins of Florida-Georgia weekend. This year’s game, hosted Oct. 31, generated an economic impact of $35 million – a more than $2 million increase from 2014.
Nearly 140,000 tourists spent the weekend in Jacksonville hotels further enhancing city bed-tax revenue. There were 37,270 booked room nights and approximately $3.6 million was generated in total room revenue, an increase of nearly $200,000 from the previous year.
“The positive results from the annual Florida-Georgia game underscore the importance of this event to our community,” said Mayor Lenny Curry. “This event drives economic impact benefits and amplifies our community as a leading destination for major events.”
The college football rivalry game has become a signature event for Jacksonville, attracting tourists from across the country to Downtown Jacksonville.
“Events like the Florida-Georgia game continue to show that Jacksonville is a major destination when it comes to sporting events,” said Paul Astleford, president and CEO of Visit Jacksonville. “The big out-of-town crowds mean big impact for our community and the visitor industry. The city has the perfect infrastructure to host big events like Florida-Georgia that attract hundreds of thousands of new visitors to experience all that Jacksonville has to offer.”
Jacksonville was once again highlighted on the national stage during the event, capturing more than 5 million viewers nationally for the CBS telecast.
Key Metrics: Florida-Georgia Football Game Results
| 2015 | 2014 | |
| Business Sales (direct) | $20,340,053 | $19,178,200 |
| Business Sales (total) | $35,302,992 | $33,279,341 |
| Room Nights (total) | 37,270 | 37,118 |
| Total Visitors | 138,539 | 132,882 |
| Total Local Tax Receipts | $1,290,581 | $1,216,774 |
| Television Ratings | 3.1 | 3.7 |
| Television Viewership | 5,015,000 | 5,711,000 |
*Information provided by CBS Television and Visit Jacksonville
About the City of Jacksonville Sports and Entertainment Office
The City of Jacksonville’s Sports and Entertainment Office attracts, hosts and creates opportunities that drive economic impact, accelerate the brand and improve the quality of life and cultural engagement for visitors and residents. Jacksonville hosts hundreds of diverse events each year making Northeast Florida a premier destination with rich tradition and world-class hospitality. For more information, visit COJ.net.
About Visit Jacksonville
Visit Jacksonville is a nonprofit marketing organization contracted by the Duval County Tourist Development Council (TDC) to champion the growth of business and leisure tourism in Northeast Florida. Along with its nearly 400 tourism partners, Visit Jacksonville supports a vital and growing component of the local economy – with tourism generating $2.2 billion in direct and indirect economy impact annually and supporting 22,000 jobs that span every sector of the economy. For a closer look at all there is to see and do in Jacksonville, go to www.VisitJacksonville.com or contact 800-733-2668.
