CRESTVIEW —The Santa Rosa County Tourist Development Council wants Crestview to economically benefit from an upcoming Tough Mudder event, scheduled for March.
Santa Rosa County TDC appointee Kyle Holley organized a meeting with Crestview hoteliers at the Crestview Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.
“We want to share the information with hotels in Crestview. We want them to fill up and generate revenue,” Holley said. “In Santa Rosa County we do not have enough hotel rooms to service this event.”
Holley estimates that between 5,000 and 7,500 people will attend the event, which is labeled as the “the premier obstacle course series in the world,” according to the toughmudder.com website.
Tough Mudder selected Ates Ranch in Santa Rosa County as their first Gulf Coast venue for their season.
With this event, Holley said the Santa Rosa TDC is both giving Crestview an economical boost and seeking assistance for additional lodging.
Should the event return to the area, Wayne Harris −executive director of the Crestview Chamber −said the event has potential to benefit Crestview hoteliers for years to come.
“The first year is always the toughest year because you don’t know what is going to happen, but the potential is enormous,” Harris said. “I think this is a great opportunity for our hoteliers. Other businesses will benefit – when people are in town they will go out to dinner.”
Becky Triplett, general manager of Comfort Inn and Suites –located near the Interstate 10 overpass, said accommodating participants, or "mudders," and attendees gives Crestview hotels and other businesses a unique opportunity.
“I think this is the perfect timing and the perfect opportunity to bring something to Crestview that we normally would never see and give us the opportunity to shine,” she said.
Triplett and Jatin Shah, general manager of Country Inn and Suites, said Crestview hotels are primarily used by individuals in transit, not those looking for a resort stay. Tourists looking for a resort stay typically go toward hotels in the coastal areas, they said.
Both said Crestview hotels would benefit by offering lower rates than hotels in the south end of Okaloosa and Santa Rosa counties.
Holley said Crestview hotels will be listed on an upcoming website for the event.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview hotels are needed to accommodate ‘Tough Mudder’ event