TOURISM VICTORIA GETS INTO SPORTS
Sports tourism in Greater Victoria will undergo a major transformation when SportHost Victoria joins with Tourism Victoria to create the new Greater Victoria Sports Tourism Commission, effective April 1.
SportHost Victoria was created in the wake of the 1994 Commonwealth Games to continue attracting events to the region. It has been run by executive director Hugh MacDonald since 2001.
MacDonald said more of an umbrella organization is needed. “When we were proposing to bid for events, I was having to go to so many different municipalities and agencies around the region. And now you have to put up rights fees to host most major events.”
Joining forces with Tourism Victoria will bring a broader approach, said MacDonald. “This will be a huge improvement.”
Tourism Victoria will provide key support in areas like strategy, destination marketing, member recruitment, research and administration. “These synergies allow for a smart, nimble, efficient and collaborative entity that will have greater reach and impact in the market,” said Paul Nursey, president and CEO of Tourism Victoria.
“It’s a rejuvenated model that brings the best of SportHost Victoria and Tourism Victoria together to launch a new entity that will increase our firepower for bidding and winning on major sports events for the Greater Victoria area,” said Nursey.
SportHost Victoria has had numerous successes, including landing events such as the 2002 U-19 FIFA women’s World Cup, 2007 men’s U-20 FIFA World Cup, 2006 Skate Canada, 2006 Pan Pacific swim championships with Michael Phelps, two Ford men’s world curling championships, and the Scotties Canadian women’s curling finals.
Up next are the 2019 world junior hockey championships beginning Boxing Day at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Sport tourism contributes an estimated $117 million annually to the economy of Greater Victoria, according to SportHost and Tourism Victoria.
Annual events such as the PGA Tour Canada stop in golf, Times Colonist 10K, Victoria GoodLife Fitness Marathon, Robert Cameron Law Cycling Series and the women’s Canada Sevens in rugby bring people to local hotels, restaurants and pubs.
Greater Victoria is bidding to be a training-camp venue for national men’s soccer teams, featuring big-money pros, ahead of the B.C. Place games in soccer’s 2026 World Cup.
MacDonald said there is interest in bringing the Invictus Games to Victoria, possibly for 2021, depending on Prince Harry’s plans for the event he created. The Invictus Games feature sports competition among injured and rehabilitating military personnel from around the world.
“We’re interested in throwing our hat into the ring for the Invictus Games,” said MacDonald.
Some bids have not been successful.
The provincial government last year said it would not help fund a Victoria bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, effectively killing the bid. Birmingham, England, has been named the host.
The University of Victoria hosted the 2017 U Sports women’s basketball championships last spring at CARSA. But UVic’s bid to host an upcoming U Sports national men’s basketball championship tournament was rejected last month in favour of Halifax for 2019 and 2021 and Ottawa for 2020.
Sports bidding and hosting is becoming an ever more competitive field as cities realize the ripple-effect benefits.
“When we joined the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance 15 years ago, there were 12 to 15 cities along with Victoria,” said MacDonald. “Now there are 115 Canadian cities and communities all competing for sports travel business.”
MacDonald will retire on March 31.
Tourism Victoria has launched a search for an executive director to lead the new Greater Victoria Sports Tourism Commission, which will be based at Saanich Commonwealth Place.