Local leaders believe The World Games is just the start for the Magic city

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) - The World Games is now over but some say this is just the beginning of Birmingham’s next chapter.

$256 million was the pre-games estimate for local economic impact but it is going to take weeks, maybe even months to get a better sense of the games’ effect on Birmingham’s bottom line.

Still, tourism and city leaders are excited, because in their eyes this is just the start and the World Games’ success will only invite larger events into town.

That includes the World Police and Fire Games that will come to the Magic City in 2025.

City leaders stress that event will be even larger with almost three times as many athletes coming to the magic city to compete,

They say the exposure our city has received over the last two weeks will perhaps be the biggest boost of all.

“This has given our community an amazing platform not just domestically but internationally. So absolutely and emphatically the world is still watching Birmingham, and we are looking to capture that momentum and really be able to scale up and average up what Birmingham can be known for and what we can do well,” said Birmingham Director of the Office of Innovation and Economic Opportunity Cornell Wesley.

The city intends on using the hotel lodging and sales tax to document just how impactful the games were but independent studies will also begin in the weeks ahead.

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