This year’s spring training brought $418.5 million to the Arizona economy, the Cactus League announced Friday.
A study by the Seidman Research Institute at Arizona State University’s WP Carey School of Business found that the 2023 spring training season generated $710.2 million in aggregate economic activity. Researchers conducted surveys of 3,386 out-of-state visitors to “measure only new dollars flowing into the state during spring training.”
The league was founded in 1947 with the Cleveland Guardians and the New York Giants and has since grown to 15 teams. Arizona is home to half of the major league baseball teams in 10 baseball stadiums around the Phoenix metro area.
Gov. Katie Hobbs echoed the league’s announcement at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, saying that while spring training games don’t count, “the economic impact certainly does.”
The Cactus League is a key partner in her office’s efforts to create jobs and build business in Arizona, she said.
This year also marked the first year the league was able to conduct a season without pandemic restrictions.
No economic report has been produced since 2018 to show that the company had $644 million in economic impact that year.
The 2023 report at a glance
This year’s season attracted 1.5 million fans to 216 games.
Visitor spending created 5,893 annual jobs worth $271.9 million in 2023.
The study also found that spring training directly generated a total of $36.6 million in taxes. $28.4 million was generated for the state and $8.2 million for local governments.
According to the study, the average Cactus League attendee attends three games, spends four nights in Arizona, and spends $421.25 per day.
The study estimated that out-of-state visitors spent millions in:
- $143.9 million for housing.
- $77.2 million for bars and restaurants.
- $27.7 million for rental cars.
- $21.8 million for playing cards.
Total spending by foreign visitors is estimated at $345 million, according to the study.
Tourism to other parts of the state was also a highlight of the report. The study found that more fans were making trips out of the Phoenix metro area than in 2018.
“To ensure the vitality of Arizona’s spring training industry, we must maintain and improve our facilities to meet the ever-changing demands of the industry,” said Chris Calcaterra, President of the Cactus League. “That requires an investment, but as you can see today, that investment is paying off for the entire state.”
Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa and Gilbert and can be reached at [email protected] or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom.
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