Media Contact:
Brenna Moore/Visit Albuquerque
Office: (505) 222-4349
Moore@VisitABQ.org
2024 is a Banner Year for Sports Tourism in Albuquerque
This year’s season demonstrates the significant impact of sports tourism on the local economy
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – (March 20, 2024) – Albuquerque is serving as the host city for a variety of prestigious sporting events in 2024, further elevating the city’s reputation as a top destination for sports tourism. Highlighted sports events that have been booked by Visit Albuquerque through July of this year are estimated to bring more than 35,000 attendees to the city and nearly $18 million in direct spend.
“We are steadily solidifying Albuquerque’s standing as a top hub for sports and sports tourism,” said Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. “Securing these high-profile events allows us to showcase our city as the best place for families and welcome visitors from across the nation to enjoy our amenities.”
“We are thrilled to serve as the host city for these renowned sporting events occurring in 2024,” said Visit Albuquerque’s President & CEO Tania Armenta. “Our excellent hospitality, local expertise and state-of-the-art facilities continue to demonstrate Albuquerque’s status as a mecca for sporting events. We are grateful for the partnerships that exist to make these events possible, the positive impact these events have on our community and look forward to many more years of successful competitions.”
The year began with a variety of indoor track events, leading up to one of the premier track and field events, the 2024 USATF Indoor Championships, held Feb. 16-17. The city has emerged as a premier destination for indoor track – thanks in large part to the City of Albuquerque’s recent investment in the new Mondo track that is installed annually at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
The USA Boxing 2024 National Open wrapped up this past weekend at the Albuquerque Convention Center. This was the organization’s first national tournament of the year and brought USA Boxing back to the city for the first time since the 2018 Western Qualifier.
Albuquerque has a long history with the sport of boxing and is home to amateur boxing legends who later turned professional, including International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Foster, former IBF world flyweight champion Danny Romero and former IBF super flyweight champion Johnny Tapia.
Albuquerque will welcome a plethora of other sporting events this year, including the USA Gymnastics Region 3 Meet, the return of the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships and the first USA Taekwondo event to be held in the city – the West Grand Prix.
“We are grateful for the strong partnerships that exist with the City of Albuquerque, the Albuquerque Convention Center, the University of New Mexico, local sports organizers and others that allow for these events to take place,” said Armenta. “Their support is crucial in fostering a thriving sports tourism industry in Albuquerque.”
These sporting events are booked and supported by the Albuquerque Sports Commission – a division of Visit Albuquerque. This dedicated sports, services, and marketing and communications team assists event organizers in ensuring each event goes the distance and showcases Albuquerque as a top sporting destination.
“One of the key reasons these sports organizations end up selecting Albuquerque as the host destination for their events is a result of the strong collaboration that exists between the Albuquerque Sports Commission and our industry partners,” said Visit Albuquerque’s Director of Sales, Services and Sports Angie Jepsen. “Through this dedication and commitment, an increasing number of athletes – as well as spectators – are introduced to Albuquerque through a variety of successful and exciting sporting events.”
Below is a table of past and upcoming highlighted sporting events for the 2024 season in Albuquerque (this list is not comprehensive of all sports bookings):
|
Dates |
Event Name |
Est. Attendance |
|
Jan. 19-20 |
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Indoor Track Invitational |
960 |
|
Jan. 26-27 |
UNM Team Open |
1,120 |
|
Feb. 2-3 |
NM Collegiate Classic |
1,120 |
|
Feb. 9-10 |
Don Kirby Elite Invitational |
1,600 |
|
Feb. 16-17 |
USATF Indoor Track & Field Championships |
1,500 |
|
Feb. 19-21 |
WAC Indoor Track & Field Championships |
900 |
|
Feb. 22-24 |
Mountain West Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships |
675 |
|
March 9-16 |
USA Boxing National Tournament |
2,465 |
|
March 23-24 |
Sun Country Region Volleyball Association Bid-Qualifier |
7,524 |
|
April 10-13 |
National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs NAIGC Championships |
2,400 |
|
April 18-21 |
USA Gymnastics Level 6, 7 and 8 Region 3 Meet |
3,630 |
|
May 3-5 |
USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships |
560 |
|
May 4-5 |
Sun Country Volleyball Regional Championships |
8,316 |
|
May 9-12 |
USA Taekwondo West Grand Prix |
4,205 |
|
June 11-20 |
Triple Crown Sports TCS Pathway Games Albuquerque |
3,268 |
|
July 17-21 |
USA Archery JOAD Target Nationals |
2,640 |
“The measurable impact of sports tourism equates to more people being employed in the industry, more revenue for small businesses, stronger tax revenues and enhancements to residents’ quality of life,” said Armenta.
About Visit Albuquerque and the Albuquerque Sports Commission
Visit Albuquerque is an accredited destination marketing organization (DMO), and a private, not-for-profit organization [501(c)(6)]. The mission of Visit Albuquerque is to stimulate economic growth by marketing Albuquerque as a convention and visitor destination, as well as a premier sports destination through the efforts of the Albuquerque Sports Commission (a division of Visit Albuquerque). For more information, go to www.VisitABQ.org.
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