Roar Offshore brings in huge revenue for FMB, extends contract for next 20 years

Reporter: Nicole Gabe
Published:
Credit: WINK News.

The Roar Offshore boat races this past weekend were such a big hit, organizers have agreed to keep them coming back for decades.

Over 60,000 people flooded Fort Myers Beach over the weekend for the high powered speed boat races. If you missed out on the event, don’t worry because the races were so successful, organizers secured a 20-year contract.

October is generally considered a slow time here in Southwest Florida, but with such a large turnout, the town is expecting to bring in a large profit.

“The volume we are experiencing over the past few days is over double what we usually get this time of year,” said Nikki Olivieri, Manager of Parrot Key Caribbean Grill.

The funds from Roar Offshore will pump right into local businesses with sales and bed taxes…meaning improvements for our roads, parks, and beaches.

If over the next 20 years, SWFL experiences crowds like what was here this past weekend, we can expect another 1.2-million visitors to the beach coming for just the races.

WINK News spoke with Chairman of the board for the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce who told us the entire experience has been positive for the town.

“It works in all directions, this is a slower time for us and it’s the end of slow season so the businesses, many of them get a boom among the hotels and restaurants, basically all of us get a boom, and that will trickle right down into the town and the city and the county,” said John Gavin, FMB Chamber of Commerce member.

The president of the event told WINK News they are still waiting to learn the economic impact from Roar Offshore, but they expect between $10-million and $15-million.

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