LAFAYETTE IGNITES SPORTS TOURISM WITH EXCITING NEW MULTI-USE INDOOR FACILITY
A Game-Changer for Hotel Stays and Visitor Experiences
LAFAYETTE, LA – Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory, The Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission (LCVC), and the Acadiana Hotel and Lodging Association today announced plans to pursue a state-of-the-art indoor sports facility that will enrich Lafayette Parish’s sports tourism market, drive hotel and motel overnight stays, and spur visitor spending.
The announcement comes after months of discussions with hoteliers and moteliers interested in supporting tourism efforts and expanding economic growth. An independent study commissioned by the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission with the Huddle Up Group followed.
After assessing all sports venues in Lafayette Parish, the Huddle Up Group, a sports tourism, marketing, venue, and event consulting company, concluded the parish lacks an indoor facility to host major sporting events – tourism-driving regional, state, and national events.
“This is a historic announcement for Lafayette Parish and the region and will be a game changer for the tourism economy,” said Ben Berthelot, President & CEO of the Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission. “With the support seen from the hotel-motel community from day one, and the ability to drive an additional 30,000 plus hotel and motel plus room nights per year, I think it’s evident this is a pivotal moment. It’s also another great example of a project where quality of life for our residents and the tourism economy both win. We can’t wait for it to come to fruition, and we look forward to getting to work selling the facility.”
The multi-use facility will allow for a minimum of eight basketball courts, and sixteen volleyball courts, and would be versatile enough to provide opportunities to host pickleball, wrestling, and other sporting events. Currently, no such facility exists on the I-10 corridor from Jacksonville to Houston according to the Huddle Up Group. The Huddle Up Group and Lafayette Travel estimate a minimum of 30,000 new room nights a year will be generated.
“An indoor facility will position Lafayette Parish to host state, regional, and national tournaments,” Mayor-President Josh Guillory said. “Our people shouldn’t be forced to travel to facilities in other states when we have an opportunity to have our own state-of-the-art facility in our community.
Over the last four years, we’ve made tremendous progress within our Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture Department. Recently-announced field and facility improvements at Brown and Moore Parks on the northside of Lafayette, and this new indoor facility on the southside of Lafayette, greatly increases our strength in the youth sports market.”
Funding for the project will come from a two percent self-imposed assessment at hotels and motels in Lafayette Parish. Statewide legislation voted into law in 2021 authorizes tourist commissions to create tourism recovery and improvement districts to generate funds to help the state’s traveler economy as long as sixty-seven percent or more of the affected businesses, in this case, motels and hotels, agree through a signed a petition. To date, seventy-one percent of hotels and motels have signed.
“Investing in such facilities diversifies the offerings of our region. Beyond tourism, it can attract sports-related businesses, training camps, and conferences further benefiting hotels, restaurants, and retail,” LCVC Board of Directors Vice Chairman and Divi Hospitality Managing Principal Ricky Patel added. “It will also promote a healthier lifestyle and foster a sense of community pride.”
