Miami Beach, FL -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/15/2012 -- The Sony Ercicson Open is one of the largest sporting events in the United States and this week it makes its way to sunny South Florida. With world-wide viewership and massive attendance, this tennis tournament has been yet another big boost to the local South Florida economy. The tournament may seem small, as venues do not hold near the same capacity as a football or baseball stadium – but with 24 sessions over 14-days – this event drew 316,267 attendees last year. Additionally, last year the event drew 77 hours of live coverage on various TV networks broadcasting to 153 million views. The attendees of this tournament are not your typical sports fans, and the sponsors who market to them are mostly high-end products like Rolex, Prada, Gucci, Mercedes Benz and more.
The event is hosted in Key Biscayne and draws tourists from all over the world. Hotel space in Key Biscayne is limited and most tourists prefer lodging in Miami Beach or the nice hotels in Brickell. Local businesses have benefited immensely from the tourism hot season in South Florida which extends from November to May and includes huge national and international events like the Miami International Boat Show, South Beach Wine and Food Festival and Sony Ericcson Open.
Hotels are not the only local industry seeing the positive impacts of a bustling South Florida tourist season, Stan Saffan - Captain of a Miami Deep Sea Fishing charter The THERAPY IV - reported record bookings for his deep sea fishing business. The Captain’s fleet of charter fishing yachts has been extremely busy the last three months in direct correlation with big tourist events scheduled.
The Sony Erricson Open is a highly anticipated event for tennis enthusiasts. It features the top tennis players in both men’s and women’s division including big names like top ranked Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Andy Murray and more. Also top ranked women like Victoria Azarenka, Petra Kvitova and Serena Williams. The tournament starts Saturday March 24 and goes on until the Finals on April 1st at 1 PM. Sponsors for the event include Sony, Bacardi, MasterCard, Corona, Baptist Hospital and more.
For more information on the Sony Ercicson Open Click Here.