playguy wrote:
flying wrote:
playguy wrote:
Without the race one can even actually travel to Kailua Kona. I'm sure glad I don't have rental property there as rates will plummet without the race. Long term, did the locals actually win?It's Hawaii
A limited quantity
Rentals rates plummet without a 1 or 2 days race???
Rents & pretty much everything else is expensive 365 days a year in Hawaii
Understood; but the cash cow may be gone, so rates back to normal. Also, you think just 1 or 2 day rentals? How many travel and train there for longer periods. Similar to IMWI here in Madison, there are many people who rent and travel to train on site. Kill the race, those are gone. Frankly, it's a tiny community with little other than coffee plantations up the hill. Better waves and tourist spots on other locales and other islands. The golden calf of Ironman brings quite a bump in the economy; not just on that day.
I understand why someone would think that but truth is it is a drop in a big bucket
For instance this is first year they had 5k competitors but lets use that more than double average as a base
5000 athletes & say they each & everyone has 5 additional support with them That is 5k+25,000 = 30,000 visitors
Yes some come early to acclimate...support/viewers don't
The Big Island gets 100,000 to 175,000 a month not even counting the summer hump
Trust me I agree Kona is nothing special & I always wondered why tourists love it but they do.
It is also why some of the most expensive resorts chose that coast with its abundance of sunshine. Unlike Hilo where you rust hahah
But for sheer beauty the oldest island of Kaui is much more beautiful IMHO
I hope Ironman continues as it always did in Hawaii. I remember the Oahu days & being in my VW bug behind riders thinking WTH?? :)
Move it & someone will quickly fill that void under a new name & folks will come it is the Original Ironman & that does resonate with many