Economic Impact of Sporting Events

Case Study: 2007 Canada Winter Games

On April 22, 2008, the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance released a report on the economic impact of the 2007 Canada Winter Games. The Games were held in Whitehorse, Yukon from February 23rd to March 10th.

The event contributed an estimated $75.2 million to the GDP and generated $176.7 million in economic activity throughout the Yukon. The combined total of the visitor expenditures, operational expenditures, and capital construction costs of the event totaled $90.7 million. These expenditures supported an estimated $51.8 million in wages and salaries and 1,124 jobs. The initial expenditure generated $10.5 million in direct tax revenue, and when accounting for the re-spending of the initial expenditure throughout the economy (indirect and induced impacts), resulted in the event supporting $26.2 million in taxes at the federal, territorial and municipal levels.

The competition featured 2,604 athletes and an additional 2,271 coaches, managers and officials, the most ever for a Canada Winter Games. In addition, the contribution of over 3,900 volunteers, or nearly 1 out of every 7 people in the Yukon, allowed the event to run smoothly and greatly contributed to the overall success of the Games.