Fans, Tourism Officials, Stadium Organizers Spring into Spring Training

For some, the arrival of spring is marked by budding trees, blooming flowers, singing birds and peeping peepers. For others, springtime means perfectly manicured carpets of grass, the aroma of hot dogs on the grill and the crack of a bat as it strikes a 5-ounce sphere covered in cowhide. For these people, known as baseball fans, spring arrived late this year because of a work lockout instigated by owners of the 30 Major League Baseball teams. The fans rejoiced when play finally resumed, but so did the tourism industry in Arizona, where half of the 30 MLB teams train in preparation for the regular season.

Ordinarily, barring a pandemic or lockout, the Cactus League results in a two-month influx of fans from around the country, anxious to shake off the frosty dormancy of winter. Typical yearly attendance has been in the 1.7 to 1.9 million range for many years. About 60% of these attendees are from outside of Arizona, according to Andy Bagnato of Bagnato Pflipsen Communications – the Cactus League’s PR firm.

This year, spring training was shortened. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association didn’t reach a collective bargaining agreement until March 10. Nonetheless, fans and towns cheered as “Play ball!” echoed through stadiums.

In 2020, the L. William Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business released a study about the economic impact of the Cactus League on Arizona. The last pre-COVID year analyzed in the report was 2018, which saw an economic impact to Arizona of $644.2 million.

Of the out-of-state visitors that come for the Cactus League, 27% visited other parts of the state during their stay in 2018. More than 37% of these people visited Northern Arizona (Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley), and nearly 40% visited North Central Arizona (Sedona, Prescott).

“ASU’s research makes it evident that while the Cactus League might be the reason people come to Arizona, there are other things they do while they are here, and it’s clear that Northern Arizona is high on that list,” said Bagnato.

“National and state parks are always popular destinations, as are museums and night sky observing opportunities,” said Arizona Office of Tourism Director of Communications and Public Information Officer Josh Coddington. “And day trips, like Flagstaff and the Verde Valley, are always popular.” In Northern Arizona, that means places like the Grand Canyon and other national parks, the red rocks of Sedona, Lowell Observatory and Sharlot Hall Museum.

State tourism officials respond to this impact by creating marketing strategies that build awareness about destinations. AOT begins its spring training marketing the previous November, when travelers begin planning their trip, and does so through several platforms such as digital ads, social media, paid search results, and even digital billboards and sports podcasts.

Another aspect of AOT’s marketing takes places after fans arrive and are attending games. For instance, this year, AOT created a 30-second video about Arizona tourism destinations that plays inside the ballparks.

“One of our roles at AOT is to let visitors know what else is close to the Valley, sort of one-tank road trips. If you’re here from out of state, you might be familiar with the Valley but not realize you’re a short drive to other places,” said Coddington.

Local tourism authorities, or destination marketing organizations (DMOs) as they are called in the tourism industry, also create Cactus League strategies. “As the city’s [Flagstaff’s] accredited DMO, Discover Flagstaff partners with the AOT and the Cactus League to strategically target spring training enthusiasts before they leave home, to encourage a Flagstaff visit while in Arizona,” said Discover Flagstaff Marketing and Media Relations Manager Lori Pappas. “Strategies and goals are research-based and executed with a laser-like focus on the goal for our destination to become a part of the fans’ overall itinerary when coming to Arizona for this very special event.”

Therefore, it’s not unusual to see fans wearing shirts emblazoned with their favorite team’s logo, such as Bill Johnson of New York during a recent visit to Flagstaff. A lifelong fan of the Milwaukee Brewers, Johnson first visited Arizona about a decade ago for spring training. He picked up a Cactus League guide and saw an advertisement for outdoor activities to do in Northern Arizona. “This really excited me about Arizona,” he said, “and so the next year I added more days onto my trip, to see the Grand Canyon. Since then, my annual spring break trip is as much about seeing the rest of Arizona as it is about catching some early baseball.” FBN

By Kevin Schindler, FBN