Seattle World Cup crowds bring success, but uneven economic boom
Seattle leaders praise World Cup success
Seattle is halfway through hosting the World Cup, and local leaders say the city has exceeded expectations, boasting record transit numbers and a big economic boost.
SEATTLE, Wash. - Seattle leaders are celebrating what they call a successful first half of the FIFA World Cup, pointing to sold-out matches, record-breaking transit ridership and international recognition as the city prepares to host two more matches.
"The response has exceeded our expectations," Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said during a press conference on Monday.
Seattle has hosted four World Cup matches so far, drawing hundreds of thousands of fans into downtown, official fan celebrations and neighborhoods across the city.
World Cup crowds at Pier 62 in Seattle.
Gov. Bob Ferguson said national and international praise confirms Seattle has become one of the tournament’s premier host cities.
"The reviews are in, and the verdict is crystal clear. That Seattle and Washington state have been the absolute best destination for the World Cup," Ferguson said.
Officials also highlighted rankings from visiting sports journalists who praised Seattle’s match atmosphere, transportation, location and fan experience.
"We have welcomed the world to Seattle, and it has been absolutely amazing over the past two weeks," Wilson said.
Seattle Mayor speaks during a joint press conference on local World Cup success. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Record transit ridership and fan celebrations
Local leaders say the tournament has produced historic numbers across the region’s transportation system.
By the numbers:
According to Sound Transit, the agency recorded 280,000 light rail boardings during the June 19 United States vs. Australia match — the highest single-day ridership in agency history.
Officials say June is expected to become Sound Transit’s first month with more than 5 million boardings.
King County Executive Girmay Zahilay said Metro and Sound Transit reported more than 1.1 million combined boardings during the tournament’s first two matches alone.
World Cup fans flood the International District/Chinatown light rail station. (Sound Transit)
The city also reported more than 750,000 visits to official fan celebration sites throughout Seattle, while Lime recorded its busiest day ever in Seattle during the tournament.
Visit Seattle also highlighted the city’s drone scoreboard following each match, saying it has generated an estimated 550 million earned media impressions while showcasing Seattle to audiences around the world.
Chinatown-International District says benefits have not been equal
The other side:
Despite the overall celebration, some neighborhood leaders say the economic impact has not reached every business.
In a one-on-one, Tuyen Than, executive director of the Chinatown-International District Business Improvement Area, said businesses closer to the stadium and light rail station have seen significantly more visitors than those farther away.
"The economic benefits have not been equitable across the CID. We’re seeing more foot traffic for businesses that are closer to the station and not further out, so like if a business is on Eighth Avenue or in Little Saigon, we’re just not seeing as much people go into those areas," Than said.
Than said businesses have spent years preparing for the tournament.
"We’ve been anticipating this moment for a really long time. We’ve been preparing for it. We’ve been in a lot of meetings with departments and local organizing committee," Than said.
Chinatown-International District during the World Cup. (FOX 13 Seattle)
She went on to say some businesses experienced larger crowds during this year’s NFC Championship than during the United States-Australia World Cup match.
"I have been talking to a few businesses in the area, and you know, the USA-Australia match, compared to, say, like the NFC Championship game this year, they have seen more people during that match than the USA Australia match," Than said.
The disparity depends largely on location, she said.
"If you are a business along Fifth Avenue, you are seeing a lot more foot traffic. If you’re further out, say, like on Eighth Avenue or Little Saigon, disappointed."
Guinness World Record highlights CID efforts
Neighborhood leaders say they have worked extensively to attract visitors during the tournament.
On June 18, the Chinatown-International District hosted the world’s largest dim sum gathering, setting a Guinness World Record with 830 participants.
"That was extremely joyful to bring the community together over food and dim sum, and to highlight the neighborhood in such a community, community the best of what the CID has to offer, you know, food and gathering," Than said.
The neighborhood has also organized World Cup watch parties and community events in an effort to draw visitors beyond the stadium district.
Than said she remains optimistic about the remainder of the tournament.
"My message would be we are open to any sort of partnerships… we’re halfway through right now, and so any way or strategies or initiatives we can do to, you know, bring more people and bring more visibility to the neighborhood. I’m all ears, and I’m open to it."
Mayor acknowledges uneven economic impact
Wilson acknowledged that not every neighborhood has experienced the same level of activity.
"We’ve seen different, different levels of foot traffic, different levels of people patronizing businesses in the neighborhoods around the city. So, it’s definitely not been uniform," Wilson said. "It definitely has not reached everywhere to the extent that I think a lot of neighborhoods were hoping for."
When asked about businesses that invested thousands of dollars preparing for the World Cup, Wilson said some have thrived while others have not.
"Yeah, and I mean, again, I think we’ve seen like some businesses are, you know hitting it out of the park again, wrong metaphor, with so much activity, and others not so much, right? And I think you know, again, we have to just, moving forward, figure out how we can bring that vitality to every neighborhood," Wilson said.
Looking ahead
What's next:
Seattle will host two more FIFA World Cup matches, including Wednesday’s Round of 16 knockout match.
Leaders in the Chinatown-International District and Little Saigon say they hope more visitors will venture beyond the stadium district before the tournament concludes.
Additional community watch parties are planned at Hing Hay Park and the Theater Off Jackson.
Wilson said city leaders are focused on carrying the momentum beyond the World Cup.
"I think our challenge really moving forward, as we think how to maintain this amazing energy that we’ve seen across our city over the last few weeks, is how can we, how can we make sure that people keep coming out right," Wilson said. "And how can we make sure that that happens in neighborhoods across the city, not just in the downtown core."
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The Source: Information in this story came from a joint press conference held by Seattle, King County and Washington leaders, and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting and interviews.