The Santiago Bernabéu plans to convert Real Madrid’s field for American football, remove the goals and turn it into a full-fledged space that will host games in the world’s most-watched sporting competition, the National Football League (NFL). … united states of america. This sport, so eagerly awaited by fans, doesn’t seem to be on the radar in our country, but with “sold out” signs posted in just a few places, this white temple will be the setting for this Sunday’s meeting between the Washington Commanders and Miami Dolphins.
This week, the city, bathed in the colors of the team playing the game at 3:30 p.m., welcomed tens of thousands of international tourists as well as Spaniards who have moved to the capital to enjoy the stadium’s first musical performance in months, a reenactment of the traditional Super Bowl halftime show. Visawrap and Daddy Yankee As the main character.
The impact of these visitors translates into millions of euros in capital. As this newspaper previously reported, the event, which is part of the NFL’s strategy to reach fans in other parts of the world – it has already passed through London and Berlin in Europe, but also hosted games in São Paulo (Brazil) – has generated an economic impact of around 70 million euros over the last few days, mainly through hotel occupancy and spending on restaurants, transport and leisure.
From all this, Hosteleria Madrid calculates that bars and restaurants, mainly concentrated in the hospitality industry in the center of Madrid and in and around the stadium itself, will receive between €10.6 million and €21.2 million. Matthew, owner of the James Joyce Irish Pub on Alcala Street, assured the newspaper that his establishment, which was chosen as one of the venues to welcome Commanders fans, is already preparing for this weekend and will be open from 9 a.m. until normal closing time.
Preparations for the big day have been underway all week around the Bernabéu, the main stage of the event. Real Madrid’s official store has replaced the jerseys of Vinicius and Mbappé with those of the Washington Commanders star, and the sides of the white temple are today decorated with the shields of the two teams that will play this weekend. According to Casa Puebla, hoteliers in the region consider this special day to be a “good” Champions League match, as the profile of participants is similar.
international tourism
The stadium has a capacity of 84,000 people, but of the total attendance, 42,000 are expected to be international tourists, primarily from the United States but also from neighboring European countries, and the average length of stay in Madrid is expected to be up to four days.
The region’s hoteliers’ association estimates that the profile of these fans, who have medium to high purchasing power and are interested in seeking a complete experience combining sport, leisure and culture, averages between 50 and 100 euros per person per day spent in restaurants. This equates to a total spend of between €8.4 million and €16.8 million in bars and restaurants by international tourists alone.
foreign fans
More than 42,000 foreign fans will attend the event, with the largest number being Americans.
In a sport likely to cause even more uproar on the other side of the pond, the NFL estimates it has 11.3 million fans in our country, the league’s director told ABC. Therefore, this conference has more than 40,000 participants from Madrid or visitors from other states. According to Hosteleria Madrid, tourists who visit the capital these days, especially for matches, end up spending an average of 40 to 80 euros per person. The budget for local fans will be between 25 and 50 euros.
In addition to the impact on restaurants, there is also an impact on hotel bookings in the capital. According to booking data, the NFL game led to a 50% increase in searches for accommodation in Madrid.
The event’s biggest impact on the NH Collection Eurobuilding, located minutes from the Real Madrid Stadium, will be over the weekend. Overall occupancy for the week was “close to full,” with a “noticeable increase” in the average daily rate, which is used by the hotel industry to calculate the average revenue earned from each room occupied that day.
According to Minor Hotels Europe & Americas (formerly NH), room rates for the weekend increased by 40% compared to another weekend, also in November.
Other events in the capital
Yankee culture can be seen not only in the bars and around the Real Madrid Stadium, but also in several events and platforms set up in different parts of the city. Plaza de España will be bathed in cyan and orange, the colors of the game’s home team, the Miami Dolphins, and so will Collins Irish Tavern, the team’s official headquarters, which will host a lively party on game day.
Matthew, owner of James Joyce Irish Pub, home of Washington Commanders fans
Cibeles already has three giant helmets and there will be several meninas dotted around the city for fans to take photos before the game. With the aim of making the sport more accessible to Madrid’s residents and tourists, a mini-flag football field will also be installed in Prince Pio, and two free matches will be held today and tomorrow at the Vallehermoso Stadium as part of the Madrid Jamboree, organized by the Madrid American Football Federation.
In addition, the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, will also be hosting a series of events for their fans at Gran Via’s Pestana CR7, with star player Dante Hall in attendance.
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