Although the cold weather may be behind schedule, construction for the Rink of Dreams at city hall is well underway and as a recent study points out its timing was perfectly planned.
“There’s a tremendous opportunity with events like the NHL All-Star game and the festivities that surround it to promote the region as a destination,” says Rick Traer, CEO of the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance.
The 2012 NHL All-Star game is set to hit the ice on Jan. 29 at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place, but the celebrations will begin on Jan. 26. A variety of events have been planned throughout the nation’s capital including events at the Rink of Dreams.
The City of Ottawa is hoping the rink will be its answer to New York’s Rockefeller Plaza or Toronto’s Nathan Phillip’s Square.
It is scheduled to open in mid-December, about a month before the All-Star game.
This will be perfect timing as a recent study from the CTSA found sports tourism is hitting its stride in Canada.
The study looked at the economic success of the Bell Capital Cup minor hockey tournament here in Ottawa.
In 2005, the tournament created 162 jobs, brought more than 16,000 visitors and generated $7.7 million in economic activity.
At its inception in 2000, the minor-hockey tournament welcomed 94 teams to the nation’s capital. Now it draws over 500 teams from Canada and other countries around the world.
“This year we have the most international teams that we’ve ever had,” says Scott Lawryk, general manager of the Bell Capital Cup. “We have six coming from Finland, five from Germany, and four from Korea.”
Casey Scobie, head coach of the Gloucester Cumberland Stars girls' PeeWee AA hockey team, has participated in two tournaments and says the youngsters love it.
“It’s extremely well run and the organizers have done a great job working with the community to make it a destination tournament,” says Scobie.
Lawryk attributes the tournament’s economic success to the fact that roughly 8,000 players under the age of 10 come with parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles, all of whom are exposed to the city’s tourist attractions like skating on the canal, the Rideau Centre and the Byward Market.
The Bell Capital Cup, however, is just one example of how sporting events can be an economic home run for cities. According to CSTA, sports tourism is one of the fastest growing segments of the tourism industry in Canada.
It yields approximately $3.4 billion in annual spending by domestic travellers alone.
This is music to the ears of Ottawa residents.
“You’re looking at a world wide television audience that allows Ottawa to advertise itself as a vacation spot,” says Traer.
Ottawa Tourism, a company that tracks and helps advertise tourism in the city, estimates the All-Star game could generate more than $30 million throughout the region.