Sports tourism played a significant role in Baldwin County’s visitor economy in 2025, with Foley and Alabama’s Beaches Sports & Events combining to host hundreds of athletic events that generated millions of dollars in economic impact, lodging revenue and local tax dollars.

FOLEY’S STRONG YEAR OF SPORTS TOURISM

Foley Sports Tourism hosted 85 events during the year, drawing 253,177 visitors to the city. Those events produced $44.5 million in business sales and generated $2.5 million in local tax revenue, according to city figures.

Visitors accounted for 32,206 room nights, leading to $5.5 million in lodging sales. Food and beverage spending totaled $11 million, while sports tourism activity supported 330 full-time jobs.

“Foley Sports Tourism has always been committed to bringing in events that drive the local economy,” said David Thompson, City of Foley executive director of leisure services. “We want to share how special Foley is with the world and do it in a way that improves the lives of our residents by encouraging visitors to experience all the city has to offer and using their tourism dollars to fund programs and services that better the quality of life for our citizens.”

ALABAMA’S BEACHES: A PREMIER SPORTS DESTINATION

Alabama’s Beaches Sports & Events also posted another impactful year across Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan. In 2024, the organization hosted 138 events that produced 132,144 room nights and generated an economic impact of $86.82 million.

Through October of 2025, Alabama’s Beaches Sports & Events hosted 127 events, resulting in 107,596 room nights and $71.24 million in economic impact.

“Sports tourism is a cornerstone of the travel economy in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Fort Morgan,” said Michelle Russ, vice president of sales for Alabama’s Beaches Sports & Events. “Our goal is to strengthen the local visitor economy by positioning Alabama’s Beaches as a premier destination for athletic events. Each tournament we host generates room nights and delivers measurable economic impact, reinforcing our coastal communities as exceptional places to live, work and visit.”

YEAR-ROUND EVENTS

Several large-scale tournaments highlighted the 2025 sports tourism calendar.

The Gulf Coast Classic Softball Tournaments, held across three tournaments in March, produced 4,447 room nights and $2.95 million in economic impact. The Gulf Coast Classic Baseball Tournaments, also held in March, generated 4,900 room nights and $3.24 million in economic impact.

In April, the AVCA Small College Beach Volleyball National Championships accounted for 921 room nights and $609,785 in economic impact. The NCAA National Collegiate Beach Volleyball Championship followed in May, producing 1,833 room nights and $1.58 million in economic impact.

Summer events delivered some of the largest returns. The Perfect Game Gulf Coast Baseball World Series, consisting of 10 tournaments in June and July, generated 31,783 room nights and $21.04 million in economic impact. The USSSA Fastpitch Gulf Coast National Championship, spread across four tournaments in July, accounted for 25,190 room nights and $16.68 million in economic impact.

The Brett/Robinson Alabama Coastal Triathlon in September added 873 room nights and $578,005 in economic impact.

Additional events included the Coastal Half Marathon, 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run in November and the NAIA Men’s Soccer National Championship in December, with economic data for those events still to be determined.

Together, the year’s results fortified sports tourism as a key driver of visitation, revenue and jobs across Baldwin County, adding to the county’s reputation as one of the top travel destinations in the south.