The BNP Paribas Open generated an estimated $887 million in economic activity across the Coachella Valley in 2026, according to a newly announced George Washington University study, as record crowds expanded the Indian Wells tournament’s reach into the region’s hotels, restaurants and other businesses. Record attendance and more than 165,000 visitors from outside the region reinforce the tournament’s economic reach.
Fans on average attended three days of the tournament in 2026. Photo courtesy BNP Paribas Open.
The findings, released Oct. 1, put the event’s direct economic impact at $629 million, with another $258 million in indirect and induced activity. The tournament also reported more than $55 million in estimated tax revenue and the equivalent of 12,706 full-time jobs supported across the regional economy.
Those figures describe modeled economic effects, not tournament revenue or the number of people employed at the tennis grounds. They still show how a sporting event concentrated in Indian Wells can generate business well beyond its gates.
The BNP Paribas Open attendance figures provide a more straightforward indication of growth. The tournament recorded 527,626 admissions in 2026, compared with 493,440 in 2024, an increase of about 6.9 percent. The total counts repeat visits by people attending on multiple days; it does not represent half a million individual travelers.
Organizers said more than 175,000 unique spectators attended this year, averaging about three days each. About 94 percent came from outside the region, representing more than 165,000 visitors. The 2024 study reported 145,860 visitors from outside the area.
“Every March, hundreds of thousands of fans come to the Coachella Valley to experience Tennis Paradise and enjoy everything our region has to offer,” said Philippe Dore, Chief Marketing Officer of the BNP Paribas Open said in the announcement of the 2026 findings. “With nearly $900 million of economic impact in 2026, the tournament has become a significant contributor in the local economy and we look forward to playing an important role in the Coachella Valley’s continued growth and success.”
For Greater Palm Springs businesses, the distinction between admissions and visitors matters. A fan returning to the tournament for several days may also require several nights of lodging and make repeated purchases away from the venue. But attendance alone does not establish how many hotel rooms were occupied, how long visitors stayed in the valley or how spending was distributed among its cities.
The tournament’s impressive draw of visitors to the region keeps growing as does their spending and overall economic impact.
The tournament’s scale is especially consequential in a region whose economy depends heavily on visitors. A separate Tourism Economics report published by Visit Greater Palm Springs estimated that 15 million visitors spent $7.8 billion in 2025, generating $9.6 billion in total economic impact and supporting 52,352 jobs.
Lodging accounted for about $2.4 billion of that annual visitor spending, including hotels, short-term rentals and the value attributed to second homes. Food and beverage spending totaled about $2.1 billion. These categories illustrate why an influx of tennis spectators can matter to businesses with no direct relationship to the tournament.
“The BNP Paribas Open demonstrates the extraordinary impact a world-class sporting event can have across our entire destination,” said Scott White, President & CEO of Visit Greater Palm Springs. “Welcoming more than 165,000 visitors from outside the region generates significant economic activity throughout the Coachella Valley, supporting our hotels, restaurants, attractions, and local businesses. The tournament’s continued growth not only drives visitation and strengthens our regional economy but also elevates Greater Palm Springs on the global stage as a premier sports and leisure destination.”
The regional tourism estimate and the tournament estimate should not be added together as separate economic gains. Tennis visitors’ spending falls within the broader visitor economy, and the reports cover different years and use separate models. A hotel stay associated with the tournament remains a single purchase even when it appears in more than one economic-impact analysis.
The tournament says its latest study used visitor surveys, tournament and sponsor data, and established economic-impact methodology. Direct activity includes spending by visitors from outside the region as well as organizers, sponsors, exhibitors, vendors and media. Indirect effects generally reflect purchases from suppliers, while induced effects reflect household spending supported by the resulting earnings.
The tax and employment estimates require their own distinctions. The reported fiscal impact includes sales, transient occupancy and property taxes. The announcement does not provide a city-by-city allocation, so the $55 million should not be treated as revenue received by Indian Wells alone. Nor does the employment estimate establish that the tournament created 12,706 permanent positions.
The event also serves as a setting for business gatherings. Title sponsor BNP Paribas reported that its 2026 Open Summit brought together more than 500 corporate and institutional clients, issuers and investors across 10 conferences. Discussions covered capital markets, artificial intelligence and other financial issues.
Local charitable contributions provide another, more concrete measure of the tournament’s community activity. Organizers reported a $750,000 contribution in 2026 to The Champions Volunteer Foundation, supporting more than 75 local nonprofit organizations and programs. The foundation, established in 2001, distributes grants to organizations serving the desert community.
BNP Paribas separately reported expanding its scholarship program to 10 grants of $20,000 each for seniors at four Coachella Valley high schools in 2026. The awards recognized academic achievement, tennis participation and community involvement.
Bob Marra is the CEO/Publisher of GPS Business Insider and GPS Market Intel. He has been studying, writing and giving presentations about business, economic and public affairs news and issues and the local economy in the Greater Palm Springs/Coachella Valley region for more than 20 years.
