REGINA - The 2022 Grey Cup proved to be a game winning touchdown for Regina and for Saskatchewan.
According to a new Sport Tourism Canada study results released on Wednesday, the 109th Grey Cup and accompanying 2022 Grey Cup Festival generated $67.8 million in economic activity in Canada, and added $25.7 million to Saskatchewan’s GDP.
The study had been commissioned by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the CFL with Sport Tourism Canada’s economic impact team managing the surveying and data collection process.;Among the highlights:
The event produced $22.8 million in wages and salaries with 388 jobs, with 291 jobs and $16.7 million in wages and salaries were in Saskatchewan.
Total Festival attendance was 210,000 over six days, with one-third of attendees travelling in from outside the province.
On average, attendees took in an average of three days of events. The overall experience was scored at an impressive 4.6 out of 5, with 94 per cent of those surveyed rating the event as “excellent” or “very good”.
Apart from the game itself, the highest ticketed events were the fan favourite team party rooms hosted by the CFL Clubs.
Family-friendly events were among the highest attended free events at the Festival; those included Gainer’s Heartland presented by Tourism Saskatchewan, the Digital Zone presented by SaskTel, the SaskPower Family Fair and the NexGen Energy Drone Show.
The event generated $19.6 million in tourism spending, with 26,669 out-of-town visitors to Regina
On average, $1,516 was spent per party attending the Grey Cup and Festival including on accommodations, restaurants, entertainment and retail.
92 per cent of out-of-town attendees stayed overnight in Regina, averaging a 3.5-night stay.
Over 8.2 million Canadians tuned in to parts of the 109th Grey Cup game on TSN and RDS.
Nearly 250 accredited media members provided coverage during the week.
The Grey Cup Festival saw over 17 million online interactions, and 12,300 downloads of the Grey Cup Festival app.
Over 1,000 planning and event volunteers put in over 30,000 hours supporting planning and delivery of the event.
$750,000 was invested back into the province in Grey Cup Legacy programs.
Finally, 34 Festival and Grey Cup partners took part throughout the week.
“The power of the Grey Cup in bringing together Canadians from coast to coast to coast never ceases to amaze me,” said CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie in a statement. “We knew the City of Regina, the province of Saskatchewan and the Roughriders would put on a tremendous event but seeing that vision come to life was truly awe-inspiring. We're beyond grateful to our passionate fans, Rider Nation, organizers, staff and volunteers; it is their incredible efforts that grew our great game and brought in nearly $70 million nationally to strengthen and support Canadian families and communities."
“We are incredibly proud of the 109th Grey Cup and Festival and everything it brought to the City of Regina and the province of Saskatchewan,” said Roughriders President and CEO Craig Reynolds in a statement.
“Our goal was to create a provincial celebration that provided something for the entire family. Through the hard work of more than 1,000 volunteers and the tremendous support of Rider Nation and CFL fans across the league, we accomplished something truly special not only for those that attended, but for the entire Saskatchewan community.”
“We are thrilled to see the $21.2 million economic impact that the 109th Grey Cup and 2022 Grey Cup Festival brought to Regina,” said Regina Mayor Sandra Masters in a statement.
“Hosting major events like the Grey Cup brings people to our city, spurring activity for our local businesses and ultimately enhancing our quality of life and civic pride and presents an opportunity to showcase our identity as a fantastic host city. The City of Regina thanks the CFL, the Grey Cup Host Organizing Committee, the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and all the partners, volunteers, and fans for making this memorable event such a huge success.”
“The success of the 2022 Grey Cup Festival speaks to Saskatchewan’s renowned hospitality, volunteer spirit and resident pride,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Trade and Export Development and Minister Responsible for Tourism Saskatchewan, in a statement. “More than $25.7 million in GDP is a tremendous boost to the province’s visitor economy. It is also gratifying to see the high satisfaction scores and know that so many guests are eager to return to Regina for another sporting event. The festival is a model for how to host an event that delivers great experiences and leaves visitors wanting more.”
