WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — There will be no Little League World Series in 2020; it is the first cancellation of the series in history.
The annual 11-day event usually brings in about $40 million to the area.
The event is important for hotels, such as Genetti's in downtown Williamsport.
"We're just absolutely devastated. It's something that we all look forward to. We are just about sold out, especially over the weekends, during little league," Front desk manager Alicia Keller said.
The Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce said the Little League World Series usually brings in more than 70,000 people to the area.
"It is busy like crazy for everybody. The hotels, all the restaurants, even places you would go to museums and stuff like that. We're just going to have to adapt," Kurt Kane, owner of Long Island Pizza in downtown Williamsport, said.
Business has already been slow because of the coronavirus, and many hoped the Little League World Series could help make up for Covid-19 losses.
Now, the chamber of commerce and the mayor's office is trying to come up with ways to still stimulate the economy.
"We're not going to be able to come up with something that's going to replace a $35 to 40 million economic driver, but if there's something that we can do to at least help mitigate some of this," Chamber of commerce president Jason Fink said.
"We just have to promote, now more than ever, the other recreational businesses and industries that we have here," Mayor Derek Slaughter added.
However, Little League is not canceled the season, and local leagues are encouraged to play when it is safe.
People are really looking forward to next year's Little League World Series as it is the 75th anniversary of the event.