GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – Cheeseheads are not the only ones enthused by Thursday’s release of the Packers’ 2017 schedule.
Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau President/CEO Brad Toll calls it an “overall terrific schedule, speaking from a tourism perspective.”
Toll notes the average economic impact from a Packers’ home game is $14,000,000.
He says that is largely due to roughly 87% of the folks who pack Lambeau Field eight times each fall not living in Brown County.
In addition to the increased hotel, restaurant, gas, and retail spending, Toll says the economic impact includes earned wages as “the people that are employed during that time period may not be otherwise. A lot of places nearby are doubling the staff that they would typically have in during a time period without a game.”
While tourism officials do not typically like to see primetime games, which can mean less revenue, Toll is not concerned since this year’s three nighttime contests are all against division rivals.
Toll says there is a huge tourism benefit that can come from nationally-televised primetime slots.
“The network may show downtown Green Bay and say ‘we’re in Green Bay, Wisconsin. What a great place to visit!’”
According to Toll, the national advertisement could plant a seed in viewers’ heads to plan a future Green Bay vacation.
He says the free, national exposure is well beyond what the bureau could afford in its advertising budget.
