Lethbridge Sport Council Releases 2024 Second Quarter Sport Tourism Economic Impact Numbers

The Lethbridge Sport Council, in partnership with Tourism Lethbridge through a Memorandum of Agreement, is pleased to report the total economic impact for sport events hosted in Lethbridge from April to June 2024. Lethbridge saw an economic boost of $4,988,356 while the province of Alberta benefited with a total impact of $6,160,318.

The 2024 Second Quarter Sport Tourism Impact Report reveals a significant 137% increase over the same period in 2023. This growth is attributed to the size of the events hosted during this period.

Data was collected for 28 of 83 (34%) sport events, featuring 14,348 participants including athletes, coaches, managers, and technical officials. These events attracted 35,040 spectators, with 11,912 of them traveling from out of town, primarily staying in local hotels and dining at Lethbridge’s restaurants.

In comparison, the same number of events in 2023 for this period saw just under 5,000 participants and 25,883 spectators, 5,798 of whom were from out of town. This generated a projected economic impact of $2,101,533 for Lethbridge.

“The 137% growth in the second quarter highlights the vital work being done by our sport organizations,” said Susan Eymann, Executive Director of the Lethbridge Sport Council. “Lethbridge is a bustling sport hosting community, and the benefits are clear—both socially and economically.”

The projected economic impact is calculated using the Sport Tourism Canada - Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model (STEAM), which uses the latest data from Statistics Canada for events that attract out-of-town participants and spectators.

“Sport tourism plays a vital role in driving economic growth in Lethbridge, as demonstrated by this remarkable increase in our second-quarter impact numbers,” added Dominika Wojcik, Senior Director of Communications with Tourism Lethbridge. “Beyond the financial boost, these events strengthen community bonds and showcase our city as a premier destination for athletes, spectators and all visitors.”

We invite all sport organizations and media to join us at the Sandman Signature on Tuesday October 22 from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. for our Sport Tourism Happy Hour, where we’ll discuss how we can work together to continue attracting and hosting exceptional sporting events in Lethbridge.

Sport tourism in Canada is a $7.4 billion annual industry, serving as a grassroots economic development initiative. Beyond economic benefits, sport tourism contributes to building social legacies, enhances sport promotion and participation, boosts volunteerism, and offers local participants home-field advantages while reducing travel costs.

The 2024 Sport Tourism Impact Report covering 101 sport events between January and June is available on the Lethbridge Sport Council website: https://bit.ly/lethbridgesteam. To catch upcoming sport events view the complete listing on the LSC Sport Event Calendar https://bit.ly/lethsportevents or follow Lethbridge Sport Events on social media.