YORK, PA - The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau is thrilled to announce that York will host the Tim Weaver Battlefield Invitational gymnastics competition this month, drawing as many as 2,500 athletes and spectators to town for the event.

Now in its 26th year, the Tim Weaver Battlefield Invitational will be held at the Utz Arena at the York Expo Center from November 18-20. The 114,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art arena is ideally suited to host the gymnastics competition, which was previously held in Gettysburg.

The invitational will draw boys and girls gymnastics teams from across the region, with competitors hailing from Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Athletes will range in age from 6 to 18 years old. The meet is hosted by Hanover Gymnastics.

With most of the visitors coming from outside York County, the Tim Weaver Battlefield Invitational is expected to generate almost $1.4 million in economic benefits for the community as visitors spend money at hotels, restaurants and other businesses. For every dollar invested in the event by the York County CVB, an estimated $748 is returned to York.

"In the competitive sports tourism industry, this is another huge win for York County," said Laura Gurreri, Sales Director at the York County CVB. "With excellent facilities such as the York Expo Center, a growing hotel market and big-city amenities at a small-town value, York County continues to prove itself a perfect location for sporting events of all kinds."

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Sport York program is designed to recruit events and generate additional economic impact in York County. Sport York positions York County as Pennsylvania's Premier Sports Destination, highlighting the area's dynamic facilities and central location on the East Coast. For further information about Sport York, visit www.yorkpa.org/sports.

The York County Convention & Visitors Bureau's Mission is to maximize tourism expenditures and their economic impact in York County, PA, through comprehensive tourism sales and marketing programs. The York County CVB's Vision is for a York County where tourism is recognized for the value of its economic impact and its role in raising the profile of York County as a sought-after destination. For more information on the York County Convention & Visitors Bureau, call 1-888-858-9675 or visit www.yorkpa.org.

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