As a lifelong Atlanta resident and Braves fan, I share the disappointment of many with the Braves’ decision to move to Cobb County. It is difficult to imagine the team leaving a historic part of town where Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth, where the Braves won their first World Series, and where Atlanta hosted opening and closing ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games.
Emotionally, this move is hard to accept.
But it is equally important to keep this announcement in perspective. Atlanta is not losing its baseball franchise. The team is simply moving 10 miles up the road. That is why I believe the impact on Atlanta’s broader hospitality industry will be minimal.
The few hotels within walking distance of the stadium will bear the brunt of the Braves’ move. According to the Braves’ economic impact study, visiting fans generate 110,000 room nights each year in metro Atlanta hotels. We estimate about 80 percent or 88,000 of those room nights are in downtown, Midtown and Buckhead.
It is logical to assume the majority of these visitors will continue to stay within the city limits. Consider a family of four that comes for a Saturday night Braves’ game. They arrive Friday night and have Saturday to enjoy Atlanta. This family will likely continue to stay downtown, within walking distance of Georgia Aquarium, World of Coca-Cola, Inside CNN Studio Tour and Centennial Olympic Park. Couples without children tend to stay in Buckhead or Midtown to take advantage of dining, nightlife and shopping options.
Some visitors will choose to stay near the new stadium. We estimate the impact will be minimal — about 20 percent of those 88,000 room nights. With our current pace of growth, we believe Atlanta’s hospitality industry will be able to absorb those 17,600 room nights over the next three years.
Next year, $1.4 billion in new hospitality inventory will come online that will draw visitors to our city core. Two new attractions — the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame — will join our downtown tourism district. The Atlanta Streetcar will further enhance accessibility.
Buckhead’s position as the Southeast capital of shopping, diningand entertainment will be further enhanced with the opening of Buckhead Atlanta. Just east of Midtown, Ponce City Market will become Atlanta’s own version of New York’s Chelsea Market, offering a unique retail, dining and entertainment experience to visitors and locals.
It is disappointing our baseball team will be leaving the area it has called home for almost 50 years. But the Braves will still bring visibility and recognition to our city’s brand through their national television exposure. The Braves have always been, and will continue to be, a great partner of Atlanta and the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. If a housing and mixed-use development comes to the stadium site, this could be a move that brings exciting new growth to Atlanta as well as Cobb County.
William Pate is president and CEO of the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau.
