LONDON, February 7, 2023 – Tourism London are pleased to announce the results from a study, conducted by Sport Tourism Canada (STC), on the 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup. This event was hosted at Western University on Saturday, November 26, and saw the Laval Rouge et Or defeat the Saskatchewan Huskies 30-24 in front of a nearly sold out crowd. Research was done with a team of on-site data collectors, using devices and QR codes to collect surveys, as well as post-event surveys sent to ticket purchasers, media, participating teams, staff and organizers.
Using the STC Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (steamPRO), the report found that the combined spending of out-of-town participants, staff, spectators, and other visitors who travelled to London to attend the event, totaled just under $1.8 million in spending, supporting over $2.4 million in overall economic impact for the London area.
Additionally, 99% of people reported a positive experience in London, over 94% indicated that they would likely return to London in the future, and 92% mentioned they would recommend London as a great place to visit.
“It was a terrific honour to host the 2022 Vanier Cup on our campus and we are delighted the game generated such a positive economic outcome for London. Western students, faculty and staff contribute to the community in countless ways through their scholarship, research, teaching and services to the community. We look forward to future partnerships with Tourism London and U Sports that benefit both our city and university.”
Alan Shepard - President, Western University
“Tourism London was pleased to work with Western University and U SPORTS to welcome the Vanier Cup to London, Ontario for the very first time. This nationally televised event was a tremendous success and provided us with another opportunity to showcase London as an excellent sport tourism destination. As we continue to recover from COVID, it’s also important to see the significant economic impact this event had on our local economy. Thank you to Sport Tourism Canada for conducting the report and we look forward one day hosting this event again in the future.”
Zanth Jarvis – Director, Sport Tourism, Tourism London
“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 Lisette Johnson-Stapley, U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer. “The 2022 Canada Life Vanier Cup was an amazing example of how Destination Tourism Organisations, Universities and U SPORTS can work together to leverage each partners strength to deliver impressive results for the local, provincial and national economies.”
Lisette Johnson-Stapely - U SPORTS Chief Sport Officer
The complete report produced by STC can be found here.
