DELAWARE- The Delaware Tourism Office announces the awardees for this year's sports tourism. DE Turf and Midway Motion and Fitness are two of four applicants that will receive funding to continue drawing people to the first state.
Established through the Fiscal Year 2024 Bond and Capital Improvements Act, the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund provides financial support to new and/or existing sports facilities that hold events throughout the year to attract out-of-state visitors and contribute to the state and local economy.
Applications were accepted for the fund from March 1 through April 12 and the office received 18 applications requesting more than $54 million. Available funds totaled $11.3 million.
"Sports tourism is a significant economic driver in our state, attracting thousands of visitors to Delaware each year and generating millions of dollars in revenue," said Jessica Welch, director of the Delaware Tourism Office. "We are pleased to be able to support these facilities in their expansion efforts. This funding will go a long way in ensuring that our state can offer top-notch facilities to teams and event operators for years to come."
The facilities receiving funding through the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund are:
Midway Motion & Fitness received 2 million to construct a pickleball complex in Rehoboth Beach with 12 indoor courts and 4 outdoor courts, meeting the requirements for sanctioning of tournaments by the American Pickleball Association.
DE Turf received $3 million to make improvements to the complex in Frederica in order to host larger regional and national tournaments. This will include tripling current stadium seating from 1,000 to 3,000 seats, constructing a new tournament facility, adding additional amenities, and more.
STATS Tournaments received $300,000 to install stadium lights at two of its fields and build one additional baseball and softball field at their facility in Bear to accommodate the increasing team and tournament demands.
Indoor Track Delaware received $6 million to construct a new indoor track facility, adjacent to the Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, that will serve as a multi-sport complex and host a variety of events and competitions.
"Since the complex was built in 2017, it has become a first-class destination that attracts sports tourism events to Kent County on a year-round basis," said Bill Strickland, chair of the DE Turf board of directors. "This funding will allow our organization to increase the number of events held at the facility, provide an opportunity to host a larger variety of events, and increase the overall economic impact DE Turf has on the state."
The Governor’s recommended FY25 Bond and Capital and Improvements Act includes additional funding for the Sports Tourism Capital Investment Fund. If this funding is approved by the legislature, the Delaware Tourism Office plans to begin accepting applications for the next round of funding in the coming months.