With the FIFA World Cup set to begin next month, Toronto businesses and tourism officials are preparing to capitalise on an expected influx of soccer fans. However, experts caution that determining the tournament's actual economic impact on the city may prove impossible.
Destination Vancouver CEO Royce Chwin said he can "feel the momentum building" in the city, with businesses announcing viewing parties and other events in preparation. Similar event-driven experiences have become popular, with companies like Vancouver Foodie Tours planning World Cup–themed dining tours to highlight local culinary offerings and football history.
Despite the optimism, calculating the World Cup's immediate economic benefits is complicated by a crucial factor: the tournament is displacing other events and occurring during what would already be peak tourism season in both Vancouver and Toronto.
Wayne Smith, director for the Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Research at Toronto Metropolitan University, said measuring such impacts accurately is nearly impossible. "I've been looking at economic impact analysis of events for over 20 years, and I can't think of a way you could do it legitimately and not be guessing," Smith said. He recommended viewing the World Cup "more (as) a marketing exercise as opposed to tourism impact".
Smith added that while hosting a major event could yield longer-term benefits lasting decades, those advantages may never be quantifiable. As of early May, firm figures around the tournament's final cost, economic benefits, and legacy remain unclear.
