DUNEDIN, Fla — Spring training season has arrived in the Tampa Bay area, bringing with it thousands of fans from around the world and generating significant economic impact for local communities.
The financial footprint extends far beyond what many might expect, with visitors contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the regional economy during the spring months.
WATCH: Spring Training baseball aims to drive economic boost to the Tampa Bay area
In Dunedin, home to the defending American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays, the community transforms during spring training. Signs and flags celebrating the team are visible throughout the area, and local businesses depend on the driving turnout to help boost sales.
"We see another uptick as we come into the spring training season. We start to see a larger influx of the Canadians who support the Blue Jays, which we love them," says Carrie Burns, manager of The Great Giftsby in Dunedin.
However, some businesses are seeing slightly lower numbers than usual this season. Boe Rushing, the owner of Back in the Day Books, has seen his overall sales fall around 10%. Due to a slower-than-normal busy winter.
But Rushing is still hopeful the number could rebound with a busy spring training season.
"With them having competed in the World Series, I would think they would want to come down for spring training, so we're definitely hopeful that it's gonna be a good spring training season," says Rushing
The Philadelphia Phillies, located just 15 minutes from Dunedin and with their own massive spring training stadium, draw equally enthusiastic crowds of parents, children, and baseball fans of all ages.
Many visitors emphasize the importance of supporting local businesses to ensure Florida remains baseball's premier spring training destination.
"We like the local places, support local businesses, kind of stay off the beaten path," says Nicky Little, who is visiting with her husband and son from Atlanta.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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