\n<\/p>\n
SEATTLE \u2014<\/strong> As the FIFA World Cup nears its final match in Seattle, business owners in the Chinatown-International District (CID) are making one last effort to attract soccer fans to their community.<\/p>\n On Monday afternoon, locals gathered at Hing Hay Park just before the U.S. faced Belgium in the Round of 16. Their goal was to encourage fans to venture beyond the stadium and check out one of the city\u2019s oldest neighborhoods.<\/p>\n This rally came after many shop owners expressed disappointment over the anticipated economic boost from the World Cup. Even though the CID is only a few blocks away from Lumen Field, some businesses reported sales drops of nearly 20% compared to the same time last year. While nearby areas like Pioneer Square and the waterfront saw plenty of visitors, the CID was mainly used as a stop for rideshares instead of a destination.<\/p>\n At 4 p.m., participants walked from Hing Hay Park toward the stadium, handing out visitor guides and inviting fans to eat and shop in the area. Afterward, they returned to the park for a community watch party before the match.<\/p>\n \u201cThis isn\u2019t a protest against FIFA,\u201d the organizers stated. \u201cWe\u2019re excited for the World Cup, Team USA, Team Belgium, and all the visitors here in Seattle. Our message is clear: don\u2019t just pass through, come experience our neighborhood. Support the small businesses that have been a vital part of this community for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n This initiative could be one of the last chances for the CID to benefit from being a host city for the World Cup before the tournament moves elsewhere.<\/p>\n Community leaders highlighted that the district has not seen the economic impact it was promised, all while facing ongoing public safety issues around 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street.<\/p>\n City officials have listened to these concerns and pointed out that efforts have been made to draw visitors into the neighborhood. A shuttle stop was set up in the CID, helping over 16,000 riders in the first four World Cup matches. Authorities also increased police presence and support services in the area to tackle crime and improve safety.<\/p>\n The Seattle FIFA World Cup Organizing Committee mentioned that they\u2019ve collaborated with local groups, providing funding for business outreach and creating marketing materials to promote more than 20 local attractions.<\/p>\n For the business owners, Monday\u2019s rally was not just about urging soccer fans to visit but also about sending a message that this historic cultural neighborhood deserves to share in the excitement and benefits of such a significant event.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" SEATTLE \u2014 As the FIFA World Cup nears its final match in Seattle, business owners in the Chinatown-International District (CID) are making one last effort to attract soccer fans to their community. On Monday afternoon, locals gathered at Hing Hay Park just before the U.S. faced Belgium in the Round of 16. Their goal was<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":36709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36708","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36708","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36708"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36708\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36709"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36708"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36708"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/indiabulletinusa.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36708"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}