On April 10th, USA Swimming announced revised dates for the next Olympic Swimming Trials. Originally slated for June 21st-28th, 2020 in Omaha, the prestigious domestic event is now scheduled for June 13th-20th, 2021 in the same Nebraskan city.
The U.S. Trials represents just one of the pieces of the overall Olympic puzzle that has taken a different shape in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The Games themselves have been postponed from July 2020 to now July of 2021.
For the city of Omaha, the economic impact of a delayed Trials is still very much in the present, however. The U.S. Olympic Swimming Trials is just one major event among several that have been postponed or cancelled due to the pandemic.
The annual Berkshire Hathaway company convention typically brings in $21.3 million to Omaha, but the meeting has been moved to a virtual environment due to coronavirus.
The annual College World Series was on the calendar for June in Omaha as well, but the multi-day affair was bumped to 2021.
All told, The Wall Street Journal reports that ‘Visit Omaha‘ estimates event cancellations such as those mentioned above will cost the city’s economy $197 million.
Per the Douglas County Health Department, the county in which Omaha resides has seen 865 reported cases of coronavirus, resulting in 16 deaths and 71 recoveries. The estimated population of Douglas County sits at of 571,000, reflecting a .15% positive rate of the total population, tested and untested.
They should ask their most famous resident Warren Buffet for that as a donation- pocket change for him and a good cause.
To be specific, it did not cost Omaha $200 million. There is $200 million less than anticipated revenue.
Aren’t you the same guy that claimed scholarships don’t cost money, they just are the absence of revenue?
At least you’re staying on-brand.
Yeah, but it hurts to lose 200 million. Take Disneyland and Disneyworld which are predicted to lose about 2 billion in revenue. Lots of folks in Orlando work for Disney world around 50,000 workers. A lot of folks here don’t work in tourism to do what a drop in sales revenue is for a city like Omaha.
Wouldn’t it also be just delayed until 2021
Omada is pretty tourist driven. This is what going to hurt youth sports in the next few years as sales tax revenue tanks.