Henrico officials support Youngkin's $5M sports tourism grant program proposal

Henrico County sports tourism officials reacted with excitement to a budget proposal from Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin that would include $5 million to fund a new sports tourism grant program in the state.

The Virginia Sports Grants Incentive Program, administered through the Virginia Tourism Authority, would be used to help localities statewide host more regional and national tournaments and other sporting events.

“As we’ve seen in Henrico, sports tourism has proven to be a tremendous way to attract visitors and their spending, which in turn supports hotels, restaurants and other local businesses,” said Dennis Bickmeier, executive director of the Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority, which oversees county-owned venues. “The Henrico Sports and Entertainment Authority applauds the bipartisan support for helping to expand sports tourism, because the competition for youth and amateur sporting events is becoming ultra-competitive.”

In 2024, sports tourism generated more than $93 million in economic impact for Henrico County. That number only accounts for visitors who stayed overnight in paid accommodations or traveled at least 50 miles from their home to attend an event and omits professional events like NASCAR races at Richmond Raceway and the Dominion Energy Charity Classic.

The $93 million economic impact figure includes the first year of operation at the Henrico Sports and Events Center, located at Virginia Center in Northern Henrico. The 185,000-square-foot facility hosted 279 “active event days” in 2024, including tournaments, league games, high school graduations, and more.

The authority scheduled more than 104 indoor and outdoor tournaments in Henrico in 2024.