WILLIAMSPORT, LYCOMING COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The 2026 Little League World Series (LLWS) is set to kick off on Wednesday, bringing thousands from around the globe to Williamsport. But, beyond the balls and bats are lasting economic impacts.
Jason Fink is the President and CEO of the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce. He says the city is expected to welcome around 70,000 visitors and bring in $40,000,000 in the two weeks.
“We're a small community. You know, we're not a large urbanized area like New York or Pittsburgh, Philadelphia. But, we're hosting an international event and people take great pride in that,” said Jason Fink, President and CEO of the Williamsport Lycoming Chamber of Commerce.
Stephanie Jones is the Director of Sales at the Genetti Hotel. She says this is the busiest time of year for them.
“It brings thousands of guests to our area who not only are interested in baseball, but the other things our local shops and stuff have to offer. Thousands of people in the area are looking for places to eat and dine and drink. It does a lot for the Williamsport area,” Jones mentioned.
John Shableski is the General Manager of Otto Bookstore. He says the store boosts its social media presence ahead of the series in hopes of bringing in more visitors.
“Our increase in traffic has been pretty steady since January. I don't know yet what we will see from this, but last year we did see an increase because of our push on social media. so, that was helpful to us,” Shableski noted.
Business owners say this time of year isn't just about the LLWS. It's also about showing the world what Williamsport has to offer.
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