Charlottetown On Top of Its Game

Charlottetown On Top of Its Game

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, March 31, 2014 – The City of Charlottetown is capitalizing on a prime opportunity to promote itself as a leading sport tourism destination to sport event right-holders and national sport organizations this week. Wayne Long, Events Development Officer for the City of Charlottetown and national board member of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance, is currently attending the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s Sport Events Congress, which starts today, April 1st in Edmonton and runs until April 3rd. The Congress is one of the main platforms that the City uses to attract major sporting events annually.

“Capitalizing on the growing sport tourism industry continues to be a priority for our municipality,” said Mayor Clifford Lee. “Charlottetown has been fortunate to reap the benefits associated with hosting major regional, national and international sport events, including tourism, economic and cultural prosperity, and immeasurable destination exposure. An important part of our continued success as a sport event hosting destination is developing and maintaining positive working relationships with national sport organizations and event-right holders, many of whom attend the annual Sport Event Congress.”

Charlottetown has quickly become a leader in Canada’s sport tourism industry, successfully attracting numerous high-profile regional, national and international sport events annually through SCORE– Charlottetown’s award-winning and highly respected sport tourism brand. Charlottetown has won a number of awards for its sport-tourism efforts, most notably the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Prestige Award for Industry Builder of the Year, awarded to Wayne Long in 2009.  The City was also received the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance President’s Award, given annually to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the success of sport tourism, awarded to Mayor Clifford Lee in 2013.

“Sport tourism continues to be the fastest growing segment of the tourism industry in Canada, worth $3.6 billion dollars annually to the Canadian economy,” said Wayne Long. “As a small destination, it is important that we remain on top of our game, exploring every opportunity to expand our sport tourism efforts through active and creative engagement in the marketplace.”

Charlottetown is poised to SCORE big again in 2014 with the hosting of a number of major sport events, including the Eastern Canadian Biathlon Championship and Canadian World Youth & Junior Biathlon Selection Trials, the NBL Canad All-Star Weekend, Canadian National Arm Wrestling Championships, Canadian Senior & Masters Men’s Fast Pitch Championships, U-14 Boys & Girls National Soccer Club Championship, and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Men’s National Soccer Championship.  In addition, Baseball Canada and Softball Canada will hold their national Annual General Meetings in Charlottetown this year.

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Media contact:
Cate Proctor
Communications Officer
City of Charlottetown
p. 902.629.4102
e. cproctor@charlottetown.ca