After three huge Pokémon GO Fest events this year in Osaka, London and New York, Niantic have reported that they commissioned an economic impact study by Statista, showing a whopping $300 million impact across the three host cities!
The study found that between New York, London and Osaka, Pokémon GO Fest generated a combined $323 million for local economies, inclusive of $73.8 million in tax revenues. With over 194,000 attendees across the three events, this is a huge boost to local economies, and Niantic compared their figures with several other high profile events that occurred in 2023.
“In comparison, the 2023 UEFA Champions League final was projected to bring an economic boost of approximately $80 million to the host city of Istanbul, Eurovision boosted the Liverpool regional economy by $66.2 million in 2023, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in Kansas City this year generated $48m to the local economy.”
We had writers who travelled to New York City and London for their GO Fests, writing reviews of their experiences of both events linked here, and here. The figures prove for interesting reading, while London and Osaka occurring on the same weekend, allowing New York City to be the standalone event seems to have given it the greatest economic boost to the host city by a large margin.
New York City
Hosted on Randall’s Island, New York City, the study found that Pokémon GO Fest gave the local economy a boost of $140.1 million, and $28.1 million in tax revenue.
“New York City is the world’s stage when it comes to live events. The Niantic team proved to be great partners in our efforts to bring the Pokémon GO Fest to the five boroughs this past summer, and the results of the economic impact study speak for themselves,” said Fred Dixon, President and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions. “The event created an opportunity to showcase the City to players and fans from around the world, 21% of whom were first-time visitors. We look forward to welcoming them back to NYC again in the future.”
It seems that not only attendees and Pokémon fans thought the event was a success, but the New York City Tourism & Conventions company, who are a non-profit quasi-agency who are New York City’s official marketing, tourism and partnership organization. Also quoted in Niantic’s report was Deborah Maher, President, Randall’s Island Park Alliance, who said the following:
“Randall’s Island Park Alliance was thrilled to have Pokémon GO make its inaugural appearance at our park this summer. The overwhelming engagement and excitement of the attendees was wonderful to witness. We are grateful to the community and fans that made Pokémon GO Fest 2023 a success and hope to welcome them back in the future.”
New York City Figures
- Economic Boost: $140.1M with a tax revenue generation of $28.1M.
- Attendance: 74,000 tickets sold, with 58% of attendees aged between 27-44 years.
- Spending Trends: An average spend of $783 by each visitor.
- First-time NYC Visitors: 21% of attendees got to experience the appeal of New York City for the first time.
- 35 million Pokémon were caught during the Pokémon GO Fest New York.
- Attendees walked an average of 18.6 miles while capturing Pokémon and making connections with other Trainers.
London
Held in August at Brockwell Park, the London event is reported to have yielded an economic impact of £46 million ($55.9 million), with £22 million ($26.8 million) generated in tax revenue. The event saw more than 50,000 people travel to and play at the main venue, as well as throughout the city. Interestingly, most (62%) attendees travelled from outside the UK to take part in the event, contributing even more to the local economy.
Tracy Halliwell, Director of Tourism, Conventions & Major Events at London & Partners, said:
“The openness and curiosity of Londoners made Pokémon GO Fest a big hit in our city. London’s diverse community, great choice of venues, and excellent transportation make it a perfect place for events to thrive. We’re excited about future Pokémon GO Fests and are committed to working with partners like Niantic to bring more fun events to London.”
London Figures
- Economic Impact: £46M with a tax revenue generation of £22M.
- Attendance: 62% of visitors travelled from outside the UK, and 60% of attendees were between 25-44 years old.
- Spending Trends: Each visitor spent an average of £430 ($522).
- Destination London: 49% of attendees would visit London again in the next 12 months.
- 34 million Pokémon were caught during Pokémon GO Fest London.
- Trainers attending Pokémon GO Fest London walked on average 41 kilometers while enjoying the event.
Osaka
Osaka’s GO Fest yielded an economic impact of ¥5.409BN ($38M) and generated ¥1.649BN ($11.6M) in tax revenue for the Japanese city. Over 60,000 Trainers attended the three-day festival at Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park and in the Suita and Osaka urban areas.
Osaka Figures
- Economic Impact: ¥5.4B with a tax revenue generation of ¥1.6BN.
- Attendance: 78% of those who attended the event came from other parts of Japan, while 2% of participants came from abroad (primarily the U.S.).
- Spending Trends: The average visitor spent during the Osaka event was ¥47,755 ($335).
- Here For The Shopping: Osaka attendees spent ¥1.66BN ($11.7M) on shopping.
- 21 million Pokémon were collectively caught by Trainers during Pokémon GO Fest Osaka.
- Attendees walked an average of 27 kilometers while exploring the Expo ‘70 Park and Osaka’s urban areas.
