Charlottetown Closing Out 2017 Sport Tourism Year on a High Note
World Sledge Hockey Challenge Taking Place December 3-9
November 29, 2017
The World Sledge Hockey Challenge returns to the ice at Charlottetown’s Bell Aliant Centre this weekend with national teams from Canada, the United States, Italy, and Korea converging on the city for the week-long event in advance of the 2018 PyeongChang Paralympic Winter Games.
2017 marks the second consecutive year (and fourth time since the event’s inception) that Charlottetown has hosted the prestigious event after Hockey Canada approached the City to extend its hosting bid a second year given the strong relationship the organization has with the municipality. The event brings with it $750,000 in direct and in-direct economic impact during the shoulder tourism season.
For schedule and ticket information, visit: hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/team-canada/men/wshc/2017
Sport tourism remains one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry in Canada, worth $6.5 billion annually to the Canadian economy (Travel Survey of Residents of Canada and the International Travel Survey – Statistics Canada custom data; Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance). The provincial share of the sport tourism market segment for Prince Edward Island is $67.2 million, with Charlottetown’s share estimated to be in excess of $43.7 million annually.
2017 was another highly successful year for sport tourism in the Capital City with upwards of 20 bid-secured sport events being hosted in Charlottetown, not including signature annual offerings such as: the Charlottetown Ringette Tournament; Spud AAA Minor Hockey Tournament; GranFondo PEI; Prince Edward Island Marathon; Early Bird Hockey Tournament; and, Atlantic Cup Speed Skating. Four of these non-annual events brought (or will bring) affiliated national television rights, namely the 2017 STIHL Timbersports Canadian Champions Trophy, 2017 Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour, 2017 CHL CIBC Canada Russia Series, and the 2017 World Sledge Hockey Challenge.
“Sport tourism remains a consistent stronghold for Charlottetown,” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “The lucrative market is becoming more competitive every day and it is important that we remain at the top of our game to continue to see returns on our efforts. Recently, Charlottetown City Council endorsed a five-year Sport Tourism Vision for Growth to expand on our successes and ensure the continued capture of a significant portion of the economic prosperity that comes with event hosting.”
The City continues to prospect in the marketplace through its nationally recognized sport tourism initiative, SCORE, and, to-date, has secured events for Charlottetown as far out as 2021. Ongoing presence in the market continues this week with the participation at the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s (un)Golf and Sport Tourism FORE-um in Ottawa.
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Background:
Since 2004, the City of Charlottetown has placed a priority on sport event attraction, aggressively pursuing the marketplace and seeing steady returns. The City launched its SCORE! initiative in 2005 to expand the lucrative sport tourism industry within the destination with much success, having been recognized nationally through Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance PRESTIGE Awards on four occasions for its outstanding efforts.
Media contact:
Jennifer Gavin
Communications Officer
City of Charlottetown
902-629-4102
jgavin@charlottetown.ca
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