When Sports Destination Management announced its Champions of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism, a pair of Baldwin County institutions were recognized.

Foley Sports Tourism and Gulf Shores | Orange Beach Sports & Events were recognized as Champions of Innovations in Sports Tourism as two of five Alabamian offices acknowledged. Along with the other honorees from across the country, this year’s winners helped bring a grand total of $1.8 billion back to their local economies.

When the USA Gymnastics Region 8 Championships, hosted by Bama Bounders, returned to the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in April, over 1,150 athletes from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee drew a crowd of over 4,700 spectators. Along with 4,100 total room nights reported, a total economic impact of $1.14 million stayed in Foley.

Down at the beach, the Brett/Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon, a USA Triathlon-sanctioned event, has been a staple for nearly two decades and this year’s 17th-anniversary event saw plenty of new faces.

“The event includes a full-length Olympic distance race and a “Tri-It-On” sprint, and participants may compete solo or in a two- or three-person relay,” the press release says.

Of this year’s runners, 55% (455 athletes) were first-time participants and 20% (166 athletes) were first-time triathlon racers to help create additional local impact. With 865 room nights reported, a total economic impact of $468,084 helped make this year’s triathlon a winner.

Other Innovation Champions from Alabama included the USA Table Tennis National Championships ($1.9 million of economic impact from 2,955 reported room nights) hosted by the Huntsville/Madison County Convention and Visitors Bureau and the War Eagle Run Fest ($653,609 of economic impact from 2,038 reported room nights) put on by Auburn-Opelika Tourism.

The 2023 Gulf Coast Challenge hosted by the Mobile Sports Authority represented Alabama as a Mid-Market Champion. Ladd-Peebles Stadium hosted the Southwest Athletic Conference football matchup between Alabama A&M and Jackson State and helped lead to 3,000 reported room nights and a total economic impact of $6.81 million.