The Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Montgomery County Tourism Office has recently teamed up with a sports tourism team to explore opportunities for growth in the sports tourism sector. The goal was to identify strategies to attract more visitors to the area through sports-related events.
After conducting extensive research, the team identified youth soccer and youth travel sports as key focus areas for Montgomery County. Jon Schmieder, CEO of Huddle Up Group, pointed out that neighboring counties, such as Danville and Lynchburg, have already experienced success in sports tourism. The plan is to leverage facilities like Christiansburg Huckleberry Park to host tournaments for sports like soccer and lacrosse.
David Rotenizer, executive director for the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Montgomery County Tourism Office, emphasized the importance of building upon the existing sports tourism infrastructure in the area. He highlighted the vision of establishing Christiansburg as a sports tourism powerhouse and expanding on the town’s current initiatives.
Local residents like Christiansburg mom Alycia Irish expressed enthusiasm for the idea of increasing sports tourism in the area. Irish noted that the community’s existing fields are already vibrant, and additional exposure through sports events would be beneficial. Officials from the Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Montgomery County Tourism Office are optimistic about the future of sports tourism in the region and are aiming to launch events within the next six months. They are committed to enhancing the area’s appeal to sports enthusiasts and attracting visitors through exciting sporting competitions.