HOF Festival one of North America's best events

(Washington, D.C.) — The American Bus Association (ABA) announced that the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival (July 31-August 9, 2004) has been designated as one of the Top 100 Events in North America for 2004 by an elite tourism industry selection committee. Inclusion in the Top 100 list, published as a supplement to the October issue of Destinations magazine, indicates that Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival offers excellent entertainment value to both tour groups and individual travelers from around the world, said ABA.

The new class of inductees receive their gold jackets at a dinner on Saturday night before a crowd of 4,000 people.

“The attractiveness of Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival as a don’t-miss entertainment value is only part of why its selection this year is such a distinction for Canton, Ohio,” said Peter J. Pantuso, ABA’s president and CEO. “The real news here is that Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival has been recognized as a potential magnet for tourism dollars, at a time when reenergizing domestic tourism is so important to our spirit and our economy. The honor gives Canton an important boost in visibility among professional tour planners.”

According to a study recently completed by researchers at The George Washington University, one overnight visit by a motorcoach group can leave from $5,000 to more than $11,000 in a local destination’s economy. Those dollars are spent on lodging, meals, admissions, fees, shopping, souvenirs, services and local taxes.

The annual enshrinement ceremony is held at Pro Football Hall of Fame Field at Fawcett Stadium.

“Simply put,” said Pantuso, “motorcoach groups spend more and stay longer. That’s why Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival is truly a local economic asset. There is no better way to jump-start tourism than to attract motorcoach groups to a great event and convince them to extend their stay.”

ABA’s 2004 Top 100 Events Selection Committee selected the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival from among hundreds of U.S. and Canadian events nominated by state and provincial tourism offices and visitors bureaus. Judges considered the event’s broad appeal, its accessibility to motorcoaches and skill at handling large groups, and a variety of other relevant criteria.

The Top 100 Events list is available online at www.buses.org.

 NFL.com: Looking at Class of 2004 and beyond

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