A few days ago, I published a post that showed how Spring Training attendance in Tampa Bay decline nearly 8%. But due to more local games, there were actually more spring training tickets sold overall in 2017 than there were in 2016.
Here are how games and total attendance compared to 2016:
- Dunedin (Blue Jays): +2 games, +6,078 tickets sold
- Clearwater (Phillies): +3 games, +15,455 tickets sold
- Bradenton (Pirates): +2 games, +2,529 tickets sold
- Tampa (Yankees): +0 games, -10,832 tickets sold
Capitalizing on the increased number of fans in the Tampa Bay are short-term, independent renters, particularly those using the Airbnb service.
Here is where I admit total ignorance to Airbnb. I've never used the service and have very little idea how it works or why it is a viable option. That said, according an Airbnb press release, 15,546 people used Airbnb in the Tampa Bay region during the six weeks of Spring Training. That's 2,591 per week.
Here are the stats Airbnb shared via press release (via the
Tampa Bay Times):
TAMPA -- Home to New York Yankees
During Spring Training:
Airbnb Guests: 9,605 guest arrivals
Guest Origin: New York was #1 origin state to Tampa
Overall Spike: 32% spike in guests compared to previous 5 week stretch
Home State Spike: 33% spike in New York guests compared to previous 6 week stretch
Host Income: Tampa hosts earned $1.53 million in supplemental income by sharing their homes
Active Hosts: About 800 Airbnb hosts in Tampa
CLEARWATER -- Home to Philadelphia Phillies
During Spring Training:
Airbnb Guests: 3,447 guest arrivals
Overall Spike: 62% spike in guests compared to previous 5 week stretch
Guest Origin: Pennsylvania was #1 origin state to Clearwater
Home State Spike: 153% spike in Pennsylvania guests compared to previous 5 week stretch
Host Income: Clearwater hosts earned $820,000 in supplemental income by sharing their homes
Active Hosts: About 300 Airbnb hosts in Clearwater
DUNEDIN -- Home to Toronto Blue Jays
During Spring Training:
Airbnb Guests: 800 guest arrivals
Overall Spike: 105 percent spike in guests compared to previous 5-week stretch
Guest Origin: Ontario was No. 1 origin state/province (American or Canadian) to Dunedin
Home State Spike: 1,860 percent spike in Ontario guests compared to previous 5-week stretch
Host Income: Dunedin hosts earned $263,000 in supplemental income by sharing their homes
Active Hosts: About 100 Airbnb hosts in Dunedin
BRADENTON -- Home to Pittsburgh Pirates
During Spring Training:
Airbnb Guests: 1,694 guest arrivals
Overall Spike: 45% spike in guests compared to previous 5 week stretch
Guest Origin: Pennsylvania was #1 origin state to Bradenton
Home State Spike: 194% spike in Pennsylvania guests compared to previous 5 week stretch
Host Income: Bradenton hosts earned $380,000 in supplemental income by sharing their homes
Active Hosts: About 300 Airbnb hosts in Bradenton
If every increased guest was a baseball fan and booked rooms specifically to visit spring training location, here is the real Tampa Bay area max gain (assuming 3 games a week):
- Tampa: 512 a week = approximately 170 per game
- Clearwater: 427 a week = approximately 142 per game
- Dunedin: 80 a week = approximately 26 per game
- Bradenton: 152 per week = approximately 50 per game
This data shows us two things:
- We need to assume some of the tourists arriving to see the Blue Jays in Dunedin stayed in Clearwater.
- Yankees spring training attendance is not as reliant on tourism as many assume. Estimates have Yankees Spring Training at 50% tourists and 50% local or in-state. The largest spring training stadium in the biggest market in the Grapefruit League only has 28 fans more per game than Clearwater.
- Tampa and Clearwater have a huge impact on Grapefruit League attendance.
I would be curious to compare Airbnb usage in 2017 to 2016 and earlier. While spring training attendance declined, did Airbnb usage increase? If so, what does that mean for hotel arguments that spring training is good for the local economy?
Spring training may still have the same impact on local economies through Airbnb, but it is possible official hotels are being used less. That might mean less hotels are needed.
Then again, we are only talking about approximately 2% of total regional spring training attendance. Airbnb usage is a curious trivia point, but just that, a trivia point in the larger economic picture.
