Games spring boost for city’s economy

Peter Farago
THERE was a spring in the step of people around Geelong last week.
Was it something in the air? No it was the influx of competitors for the two national sporting events the city hosted last week.
The 2006 National Transplant Games and Victorian Teachers Games brought people from across the nation and around the world to our fair city for the pursuit of sporting greatness.
Some of the sports involved weren’t your usual Olympic-type running, jumping and swimming events, more like chess, squash and ten-pin bowling.
More than 2000 teachers participated in the Victorian Teachers Games, while another 1000 were in Geelong for the National Transplant Games.
They followed the ITF Junior World Taekwondo Championships the previous weekend.
While the events were primarily sporting in nature and highlighted to the country Geelong’s ability to host such festivals, they also brought to the attention of locals the benefits such an influx of people can bring to the local economy.
Business owners already know the economic benefits the Geelong Football Club provide the region.
While the City of Greater Geelong highlighted an economic study of the impact of an AFL game at Skilled Stadium, many business owners would be able to supply plenty of anecdotal evidence on how the Cats can change the spending mood of people in town.
Many hospitality staff will say how the tables fill up if the Cats have a win.
If they lose, business tends to be slower.
Last week hospitality establishments around the city seemed to be buzzing, especially earlier in the week when competition was concentrated.
And many of the tables were booked by groups or families that were in town for either Games.
What this shows is that major sporting and cultural events bring to Geelong not only the best competitors in their field but also a group of people that want to experience the city’s highlights.
Geelong is blessed with a myriad of top-quality community and major sporting venues that are ideal to host national events like the Victorian Teachers Games and National Transplant Games.
But the city is also blessed in offering a vibrant hospitality industry that offers visitors a glimpse of what life can be like in the region.