World Cup to boost Toronto, Vancouver tourism, but how much is unclear

Toronto and Vancouver are set to get a tourism boost from the World Cup, but one expert says to be wary of rosy projections.

Toronto and Vancouver are set to get a tourism boost from the World Cup, but experts say fans and planners alike should be wary of overly rosy projections.

FIFA announced on Sunday the two cities will host a combined total of 13 games, including Toronto hosting Canada’s first ever men’s World Cup match.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said in a statement she was “thrilled” to see the city chosen for six matches, while Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said on X that he was “stoked” the city would host seven “epic” matches.

The City of Toronto said the event is expected to create 3,585 jobs and draw more than 300,000 visitors, and that Canada should see a $1.2-billion boost to its GDP from the Vancouver and Toronto games combined.

The economic boost includes $393 million in GDP for Toronto, up almost 30 per cent from what the city said back in mid-2022, while it said Ontario should see an additional boost of $456 million.

However, the hit to taxpayers will also run high, with 2022 estimates of about $300 million for Toronto and $250 mullion for Vancouver.

Neither city has released an updated cost estimate.

When Toronto first pitched the games in 2018, a city report estimated the cost at between $30 million and $45 million.