Miami Revs Up for Super Bowl Crowds

Some streets are already being closed down in Miami as fans converge in preparation for Super Bowl XLIV Sunday.

More than 100,000 people are expected to visit the city over the next four days, but as CBS News National Correspondent Jeff Glor reported, some people are already living up what the city has to offer.

Full Coverage of the Super Bowl
Photos: Pigskin Picks

From the clubs along South Beach to Miami's downtown, Glor said there's a reason why this city has hosted 10 Super Bowls and two of the last four: It's about more than just the game.

Glor said early-arriving fans have been reeled in by the rehearsals or corporate sponsors hoping to cash in.

And who has been waiting for the Super Bowl, perhaps more than anyone in the country? It's likely the retailers and residents of Miami.

Bill Talbert, president of the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, told CBS News, "Timing couldn't be better for Miami."

Florida, Glor added, has suffered its fair share of the recession, experiencing an especially hard hit by the housing crisis.

Talbert said, "It's a big economic boost to our community, and especially after 18 months of just terrible global economics."

According to Price Waterhouse, a professional services firm, Super Bowl XLIV is expected to add $153 million to South Florida's economy this year.

Local hotels, for instance, have raised rates an average of 25 percent. But as Glor pointed out, that is well within the budget of the average Super Bowl attendee.

According to Kathleen Davis, president of Sports Management Research Institute, a typical Super Bowl visitor earns $222,000 -- four times the national average.

Gov. Charlie Crist added on "The Early Show" the state of Florida will also benefit from the game, generating an estimated $500 million for the state and creating thousands of jobs for residents.