Document Type
Working Paper
Date of This Version
5-1-2017
Keywords
conventions, mega-event, tourism, hotel occupancy
JEL Classification
O18, R53
Abstract
We use daily hotel occupancy, price, and revenue data to analyze the economic impact of the 2008 and 2012 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. We find that political conventions generate approximately 29,000 room nights of lodging, though this figure is offset by lower hotel occupancy during the week before and, to a lesser extent, after conventions. Conventions increase hotel revenue by approximately $20 million on average, a figure which suggests that host cities’ claims of economic impacts of $150 million or more may be implausible.
Working Paper Number
1701
Recommended Citation
Matheson, Victor; Heller, Lauren R.; and Stephenson, E. Frank, "Unconventional Wisdom: Estimating the Economic Impact of the Democratic and Republican National Political Conventions" (2017). Economics Department Working Papers. Paper 189.
https://crossworks.holycross.edu/econ_working_papers/189
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