Since Ichiro arrived in Seattle 12 years ago, Safeco Field has become a top destination for Asian tourists.
The number of Japanese tourists coming to Seattle spiked at about 80,000 a few years ago.
For many across Asia the main attraction was no. 51. Entire businesses have been built catering to Ichi-tourism.
One baseball player's performance has made Seattle a much more attractive market overseas. Japanese airline ANA expanded service to Seattle and used Boeing planes.
But it isn't just Asia. A father and son drove 17 hours from Saskatchewan to see one impact player join a powerhouse team.
Tourism officials say it's too soon to estimate the financial impact of Ichiro's defection to New York, but it looks like the Yankees win again:
Mariner's officials tell us the team will not lose out on Japanese TV revenue because that money is shared by all major league teams -- and the contract will be transferred to New York.
