Savannah Bananas give Charlotte hotels a boost

Axios

8 hours ago

Charlotte went bananas earlier this month when a wacky baseball team packed out Bank of America Stadium two nights in a row. The Savannah Bananas drew 148,000 people in Charlotte, a team record.
Why it matters: Mecklenburg County hotels were near record capacity when the Bananas came to Charlotte, which is a win for Charlotte's visitor economy, according to Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority (CRVA) CEO Steve Bagwell.
The big picture: Charlotte is on a roll with major sporting events, from last month's PGA Championship to hosting upcoming FIFA Club World Cup matches — all of which bring visitors and dollars to the city.
Zoom in: While post-pandemic business travel was slow to recover, leisure travel in Uptown has boomed in recent years, bolstering center city's recovery. Major events like the 2023 Beyoncé concert have drawn thousands of visitors Uptown, where they patronize hotels, restaurants and bars.
By the numbers: Mecklenburg County hotels had 81.5% occupancy for Friday, June 6, and 90% for Saturday, June 7, according to the CRVA.
The average hotel rate was $146.17 for June 6 and $159.03 for June 7.
A total of 52,547 rooms were booked over those two days. June 7 had slightly higher demand with 27,574 rooms.
Between the lines: The Savannah Bananas weren't the only event in town that weekend (Taste of Charlotte was also going on), but the Bananas were definitely the main event.