Brownsville sees major bump of tourism for games

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Rio Grande Valley is hosting some summer games of our own as the Games of Texas are back in Brownsville and businesses in the area are definitely feeling the impact.

A few weeks ago, Mark Lord, the executive director of the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation, said that around 30,000 people visit the area during the games. Thousands of athletes and their family are calling Brownsville home for the next few days thanks to the games.

Parking lots at several Brownsville restaurants are full and several hotels are at capacity this weekend. One of those hotels was La Quinta Inn & Suites in Brownsville.

Receptionist Esmeralda Fuentes said she’s seen an even bigger increase in visitors compared to last year.

“Honestly, I feel like this year it's a little bit bigger because last year we weren't as full in capacity," Fuentes said. "Right now, we're completely sold out for the next few days. So it is a lot bigger. Definitely.”

Fuentes said some people checking in are families that have been to the area before, and she has spent most of the last few days recommending local spots where tourist can grab a bite to eat.

Fuentes says she tells them that some tourist got here last week because they knew how busy it could get and did not wanted to do any last minute planning ahead of the action.