The tourism industry has been hit hard because of closings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the sports industry in Columbus is no different. 

In Columbus, the Arnold Sports Festival was cancelled, as were the OHSAA Boys and Girls Basketball State Championships, the OHSAA State Wrestling Championships, and as a result of the NHL suspending the season, the Blue Jackets are on hold as well.

The cancellations have resulted in losses of tens of millions of dollars for the city, including the cancellation of the Arnold Sports Classic for which the city lost out on $54 million of direct spending according to Linda Logan, the executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission. 

The cancellation of the OHSAA Boys & Girls Basketball State Championships and Wrestling State Championships account for over $10 million in lost revenue for the city of Columbus, Logan said.  
The Greater Columbus Sports Commission, which is under the umbrella of Experience Columbus, has also taken the brunt of the loss of sporting events, Logan said and have had to reduce their budgets by close to 30 percent.

Although this could have a carryover effect into 2021, Logan said she believes the sports industry will be one of the first to bounce back. The sports industry is largely dependent on domestic travel and not international travel, that makes it more likely to come back quickly in the wake of a global pandemic.

“I do feel like the Columbus region will come back quickly,” she said.