• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

New

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

Watch Fortune Daily, our new video show that brings you inside the Fortune newsroom and the boardroom

U.S. Cities Are Betting On a Pokemon Go Tourism Boom

By
Chauncey L. Alcorn
Chauncey L. Alcorn
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chauncey L. Alcorn
Chauncey L. Alcorn
Down Arrow Button Icon
July 15, 2016, 5:07 PM ET
Pokemon GO game in New York
Tourism departments are creating marketing programs centered on the mobile game as police rack up Poke-related complaints. (Photo by Volkan Furuncu/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)Photograph by Volkan Furuncu — Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Pikachu is driving America Pika-crazy.

The pandemonium surrounding Pokemon Go this week continued on Friday as tourism departments have begun creating marketing programs centered on the mobile game, even as police and emergency officials across the country rack up Poke-related complaints of people walking into traffic, getting robbed, even walking off cliffs chasing Pokemon.

In Los Angeles, restaurants and hotels offered Pokemon-related giveaways and deals while city tourism marketers had already created a Pokemon Go handy guide by Friday for visitors to “catch ’em all.” Two days earlier, two men playing the game walked off a cliff hunting the digital characters in North San Diego County and an Anaheim man was robbed by a group of teens as he hunted Pokemon in a local park.

“We think [Pokemon Go] is an interesting way to explore the city and see parts of the city you might not see otherwise, but people need to stay safe and aware of their surroundings,” a city tourism spokesperson tells Fortune. “At the end of the day, it’s an interesting way to see landmark attractions around the city, assuming people are paying attention to their surroundings and not walking into oncoming traffic.”

In Western Pennsylvania on Tuesday, 15-year-old Autumn Deisenroth did just that. The Tarentum, Penn. native pursued a Pokemon across a busy highway near a local museum and was hit by a car. She received a few scrapes and bruises, but was home with her family by Wednesday. Her mom, Tracy Nolan, blames the game.

“Kids don’t just cross a highway,” Nolan told an ABC affiliate in Pittsburgh the next day before vowing not to let her daughter play “Go” anymore. “”This thing had her walking across a highway to catch a Pokemon.”

After the incident, Pennsylvania state police issued an advisory to motorists to watch out for unwitting Pokemon hunters crossing streets.

In Las Vegas, there haven’t been any major crimes or accidents, but tourism insiders say they’re exploring “Go” related marketing campaigns to accompany all the local business promotions around the game.

“It’s something we’re taking a look into,” says Molly Castano, communications manager at the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. “It’s so new and it happened so quickly. We have people that are definitely playing it all over the place.”

In New York, Poke-players have set up group Pokemon hunting expeditions as city officials warn New Yorkers to be safe as they wander the city looking for the animated characters.

“We are thrilled that New Yorkers—both young and not so young— have more motivation to explore our many parks, landmarks, public art installations, outdoor spaces and historic buildings,” says a rep from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office. “It is important that New Yorkers engage with AR games safely, staying aware of their surroundings, alert to danger, and following all laws.

 

About the Author
By Chauncey L. Alcorn
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in

Man in black in front of a blue background.
Big TechSpaceX
SpaceX revenue surges to $7.8 billion, blowing past Wall Street expectations by nearly $1 billion
By Amanda GerutAugust 4, 2026
2 hours ago
New York Attorney General Letitia James looks to her right at a news conference.
LawDonald Trump
20 states and DC sue as Trump moves to share low-income families’ data with immigration authorities
By The Associated Press and Anthony IzaguirreAugust 4, 2026
3 hours ago
US President Donald Trump speaks about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House.
AsiaDonald Trump
Trump claims he’s talking with Iran as they hold talks with other nations
By The Associated Press, Samy Magdy, Elena Becatoros and Josh BoakAugust 4, 2026
3 hours ago
OpenAI president Greg Brockman: We ‘contort’ ourselves around computers, clicking and typing is a ‘phase’
NewslettersEye on AI
OpenAI president Greg Brockman: We ‘contort’ ourselves around computers, clicking and typing is a ‘phase’
By Emily ForliniAugust 4, 2026
3 hours ago
Photo of Bessent at a table with Trump’s cabinet
EconomyJapan
Scott Bessent is using moves from his hedge fund days to prop up Japan’s yen—and America’s $40 trillion national debt
By Mia OsmonbekovAugust 4, 2026
4 hours ago
McDonald’s CEO turns to a trusted lieutenant with a turnaround record to revive its biggest market
C-Suitechief executive officer (CEO)
McDonald’s CEO turns to a trusted lieutenant with a turnaround record to revive its biggest market
By Phil WahbaAugust 4, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
Personal Finance
How Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax exposed an epidemic of 'ghost cars' instead
By Catherina GioinoAugust 4, 2026
15 hours ago
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
North America
Bars, bowling alleys, and movie theaters cost too much to run and visit. Americans have run out of places to hang out and we're paying with our health
By Catherina GioinoAugust 2, 2026
3 days ago
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
Investing
Ray Dalio on the AI bubble nearing 1929, 2000 levels and the lesson people always forget: 'Wealth is not the same as money'
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 4, 2026
15 hours ago
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
Investing
Wall Street bulls are starting to admit the earnings bubble is real—and the 60/40 portfolio may be the first casualty
By Nick LichtenbergAugust 3, 2026
1 day ago
Electric air taxis are finally ready for takeoff
Magazine
Electric air taxis are finally ready for takeoff
By Alexei OreskovicAugust 3, 2026
2 days ago
The Iran war already has a winner: The world’s largest shipbroker notching record earnings from the 'exceptional volatility' in the Strait of Hormuz
Energy
The Iran war already has a winner: The world’s largest shipbroker notching record earnings from the 'exceptional volatility' in the Strait of Hormuz
By Sasha RogelbergAugust 3, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.