MLB relocating All-Star game will cost Georgia $100M, tourism official says
Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia, where the Major League Baseball 2021 All-Star Game was originally scheduled to be played. Photo: David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The "estimated lost economic impact" of Major League Baseball's decision to move its All-Star Game out of Georgia over the state's voting restrictions is more than $100 million, a tourism industry official told CNN Saturday.
What they're saying: Cobb Travel and Tourism chief Holly Quinlan told a news conference Friday that the game "would have been a big boost to Cobb businesses and help with recovery efforts after the COVID-19 pandemic."
- She noted to CNN in a statement Saturday that many Cobb County hotels "saw single digit occupancy numbers" early on in the pandemic.
- "The 8,000-plus contracted hotel room nights that will not actualize as a result of the MLB All-Star Game relocation will have a negative impact on Cobb's hospitality industry and other local businesses, further delaying recovery," Quinlan added.
The big picture: Several organizations have publicly criticized Georgia's new law curbing voting access for disproportionately affecting people of color. But the MLB went further Friday by pulling the All-Star Game, which was scheduled for July 13 at Truist Park.
- Republicans have criticized the MLB and other organizations that have publicly opposed the Georgia's new voting law.
- Former President Trump has called for a boycott of the MLB and other groups over their opposition.