Kingston will play host to several international and national events in 2019-20 which lead to a top 15 finish in this years Global Sports Impact (GSI) Canada Index.
Kingston was 46 points shy of overtaking Ottawa for the second spot, behind Toronto’s 11,600 points. According to the index, the points are awarded to cities based on national championships and international events hosted.
“We are delighted to maintain our ranking as a top city in Canada for hosting major sport events,” said Megan Knott, executive director of Tourism Kingston.
“We will continue to attract and host major events to our city with a focus on pinnacle events such as the 2020 Tim Hortons Brier.”
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Global News spoke to the Chair of Tourism Kingston, Bill Durnford, who assured that the Brier is attributed to Kingston’s ranking and will make a major impact on the local economy.
“The week will bring tens of millions of dollars of economic impact to Kingston. Those attending will not only come and stay in hotels, but they shop downtown and eat at restaurants,” said Durnford.
Kingston will host the 2019 Football Canada Cup, 2020 U-SPORTS Women’s Rugby Championships, and 2019-2020 Canadian Pickleball Championships, along with several others.
The year prior, Kingston ranked 10th in the country and was second for cities 150,000 to 500,000 in population. The city, however, received a lower score of 5372.