FORT MYERS, Fla — Major League Baseball spring training will get started this week in Southwest Florida.
Boston Red Soxpitchers and catchers can report to camp at Jet Blue Park in Fort Myers starting Monday. The first day for the Minnesota Twins at Hammond Stadium is scheduled for Wednesday.
But there is some question about whether fans will follow the teams south this year.
There hasn't been a "normal" spring training in four years. Covid-19 shut down the spring schedule early in 2020. The next spring, ballparks limited the number of people who could buy tickets, because of the pandemic. And in 2022, the MLB lockout cut spring training in half. Now this year, our community is dealing with damage from Hurricane Ian.
Lee County Commissioner and Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce CEO, Brian Hamman says he's not too worried about fans staying home.
"I think the spring training guests will be coming back, because it's a 100-year tradition here in Lee County to have spring training here, and I think a lot of our visitors are looking forward to coming back."
That's certainly the hope. Because according to a 2018 study, spring training visitors spend about $69 million in Lee County every spring. And that year, at least, about 66% of the visitors who were surveyed said they would come back for another spring training.
But if they come back this year, will there be a place for them to stay?
The 2018 survey found that 71% of fans stay in hotels or vacation rentals when they visit Lee County. They stay an average of five nights, and 22% of them stay on one of the barrier islands. But the hurricane wiped out almost all of the rentals in places like Fort Myers Beach and Sanibel.
Hamman says right now, 66% of the hotels in Lee County are open. And he predicts they will be extremely full in February and March.
But he also says, that could shift the way spring training fans spend their money.
"I look at this spring training season as an opportunity for areas like Cape Coral and downtown Fort Myers and some of those inland communities to see some tourism that maybe they haven't seen before," Hamman says.
That could mean more traffic in areas that usually don't see it this time of year. But it could also mean more money. The 2018 study found spring training fans spend $18 million on hotels, $14 million in restaurants, and $9 million shopping.
"If you're seeing some slow times in the wake of Hurricane Ian, this could be that shot in the arm that might help you get through this season," Hamman says.
