Sports tourism booms in Overland Park
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The Top Gun Invitational. Photo: Courtesy of Visit Overland Park
Multiday sporting events are filling Overland Park hotels and bringing in massive local spending — and that was before the World Cup.
Why it matters: More tourism means more local spending, offsetting costs for residents and attracting more business to the city.
By the numbers: 2025 was Visit Overland Park's biggest year yet, driving $1.6 billion in economic impact, according to a study by Tourism Economics.
- The city saw 5.3 million visitors last year, up 4.7% from the previous year.
- It follows an emerging growth trend, with hotel occupancy up 10% over three years.
The big picture: Visit Overland Park has been honing in on multiday sporting events, drawing visitors from across the country to compete in the KC metro, using OP as a home base.
- "It's the fastest growing sector in the business. It is the largest driver of group hotel rooms in the United States," Visit Overland Park president and CEO Warren Wilkinson tells Axios.
Zoom in: OP landed two new major sporting events in 2025 — 1st Phorm Monster Games relocated from Joplin, Missouri, and the NIRSA National Soccer Championships came from Texas.
Follow the money: Tourism in 2025 contributed almost $51 million in taxes to Overland Park, with an additional $57 million in state taxes.
- "37% of restaurant revenue in Overland Park is from a visitor that traveled at least 50 miles," Wilkinson says.
- That money amounts to about $1,280 per household annually, meaning the city can do more while requiring less from residents.
Behind the scenes: Wilkinson tells Axios his team has pushed to get event rights-holders to relocate to Overland Park, sometimes working for years on a single deal.
- "We made sure that the market knew that we were open for business," he says.
- And a lot of these events are multiyear contracts, he says, including the Monster Games that will be in OP through 2027.
Reality check: The numbers aren't yet out for 2026, but Wilkinson says the World Cup was a mixed bag — although ultimately a "great opportunity for the KC metro."
- OP hotels had lower occupancy but a much higher rate per room, which shows up as net gains.
What we're watching: How the World Cup affected OP restaurants and retailers.
- "We expect to see another year of record results," Wilkinson says.