By Moses Leos III.
As the second ever Formula 1 (F1) U.S. Grand Prix hits the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin next weekend, many local cities prepare themselves for the influx of visitors from around the world.
Perhaps none more than Buda, roughly 20 miles away from COTA, which is trying to draw the business of those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of downtown Austin.
Lysa Gonzalez, director of tourism in Buda, understands events such as F1 drive the hospitality industry. With COTA just a 24-minute drive on the toll roads, Buda is one of the more accessible areas to the track in the region.
“With events like F1, there’s always a demand for hotels,” Gonzalez said. “People want to stay in Buda, because they want to be closer to the track.”
It also gives Buda the chance to promote itself. Gonzales said F1 helps get the Buda name “out there.”
The result is a thriving hospitality industry. According to Gonzalez, last year the demand for hotels in Buda was high, with nary an empty hotel room left in the city. The trend continues this year, as hotels around the city have been booked for F1 weekend.
The focus will remain on the hospitality aspect, after last year’s attempt to entice F1 visitors with the Buda Fan Jam at City Park saw limited success due to higher profile acts and venues in Austin. Mayor Todd Ruge said the city opted to forego the concert, as it didn’t get the most bang for the buck.
“At the time, it was a great idea. We were one of the first (cities) to book a concert that weekend,” Ruge said. “The turnout was disappointing. We learned from it.”
Instead, the city will continue with one element that was popular: shuttle service.
Last year, former tourism director Alicia Burrows came up with the idea of helping hotel patrons get to COTA without paying high Austin prices.
It was there the city came up with the strategy of providing a shuttle that can take hotel occupants to COTA. They also extended the service to area residents who wished to forgo the $200 weekend on-site parking fee.
To put the plan in action, the city teamed up with Hays CISD to bus people to the track.
At a cost of roughly $1,000, the city obtained two luxury buses from the school district for the 2012 race weekend. The fee included the cost of gas, drivers, and the COTA F1 parking permit, which was $200 for the weekend per bus.
This year, the cost will be more than $1,000. The district’s portion will remain the same, but the parking permits increased to $399.
It also comes with a caveat: the bus is by reservation only, due to COTA rules.
The city charges $25 per person per day. Ruge maintains it is not a “revenue stream” for the city. His hope is to see the same customers use the service year after year.
Still, Gonzalez says numbers are down. 2012 saw the city fill one and a half buses. This year, one bus has almost been filled.
In addition, the city had to scale back to two days, Saturday and Sunday, as the district did not have enough drivers to accommodate the extra day.
Despite some struggles, Ruge and Gonzalez were excited at the return of the USGP.
With the city’s hotel occupancy tax thriving because of F1 weekend, the city saw strong financial benefits last year.
They hope to repeat the trend in 2013.
“We had a lot of success (last year). Downtown business saw a spike,” Ruge said. “I think (the USGP is) a good thing for the city.”
Accommodations
Buda Hotels/MotelsMicrotelHamptonComfort InnHoliday Inn ExpressAmerica’s Best
Week prior to F1$79-109$119-189$99-129$110-170$70-130
F1 weekend$259$299-599$249-259$299-499$150-$350
