The Vanier Cup brought more than just top notch university football to London last fall.
According to a study conducted by Sport Tourism Canada (STC), the championship game held at Western University on November 26 gave the city a more than $2.4 million economic boost.
On-site data collectors used devices and QR codes to collect surveys sent to spectators, participating teams, staff, organizers, and media. The surveys were completed both at the game and after the event wrapped up. Information syphoned from the questionnaires was compiled using the STC Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (steamPro) to determine that spending by out-of-town participants, staff, spectators, and other visitors who came to London for the event totaled just under $1.8 million. That supported over $2.4 million in overall economic impact for the London area, the results of the study show.
"U SPORTS is pleased with the results of the steamPro analysis as it confirms what we already knew, that U SPORTS championships and in particular the Vanier Cup have significant economic impacts for the host cities," said U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer Lisette Johnson-Stapley. "The 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup was an amazing example of how destination tourism organizations, universities, and U SPORTS can work together to leverage each partners' strength to deliver impressive results for the local, provincial and national economies.”
In addition to the financial benefits of the sold out game, 99 per cent of respondents to the survey said they had a positive experience in London, with more than 94 per cent stating they are likely to return to the city. Ninety-two per cent reportedly said they would recommend London as a "great place to visit."
"This nationally televised event was a tremendous success and provided us with another opportunity to showcase London as an excellent sport tourism destination," said Zanth Jarvis, Tourism London's director of sport tourism. "As we continue to recover from COVID, it’s also important to see the significant economic impact this event had on our local economy."
The complete STC report can be found by clicking here.