Perhaps you’ve been trying to ignore all the political hoopla, but you won’t be able to do so much longer. It’s game-time in the final run up to presidential elections in November, as conventions kick off later this week.
The Republic National Committee’ convention is up first, scheduled for August 27-30 in Tampa, FL. The Democratic National Committee’s convention will follow a week later in Charlotte, NC.
Image: jacreative
The RNC is estimating that “2,286 delegates and 2,125 alternate delegates from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories” will descend upon Tampa. The DNC says nearly 6,000 delegates will arrive in Charlotte for its convention. And those are just the delegates; national and international media will be present in both cities as well, in numbers that almost approach the total number of press who covered the London Olympics.
Though there’s a question whether these events actually result in increased revenue for a city, both the host and individual businesses remain hopeful, and these conventions are big business for local tourism boards, chambers of commerce, and their industry stakeholders–hotels, restaurants, and nearby attractions–all of which eagerly anticipate an influx of visitor dollars.
There are plenty of events to keep you busy at either convention, but in your free time, be sure to check out NileGuide’s Tampa and Charlotte travel guides, which provide local experts’ intel about what to see, where to eat, and what to do. Share your favorite spots on our Facebook page or on twitter.
