MBiz

14 mbiz | may 2015 c a p i t a l W hile it's far too soon to say who will be crowned champions at the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015, one big winner has already been determined — the city of Winnipeg. Winnipeg will host seven matches during the tournament, which will see 24 nations battling for soccer supremacy from June 6 - July 5 in six Canadian cities. Preliminary projections compiled by the Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance estimate the event will generate more than $267 million in economic activity across the country, and Winnipeg stands to reap a significant portion of that windfall. Chantal Sturk-Nadeau, vice-president of tourism for Tourism Winnipeg, expects the World Cup to cement the city's reputation as one of the country's preeminent host cities. She notes Winnipeg's size and central geographic location make it an ideal location to host national and international sporting events such as the Grey Cup, coming up in November, and the Pan Am Games. "A lot of large sporting events actually do look for a little bit smaller cities," Sturk-Nadeau says. "Yes, the big cities have the money, but the smaller cities are easier to get around and there's a lot more of a community feel to them." Winnipeg's ability to draw on dedicated volunteers is another factor that helps to make major sporting events a success. "You'll go to other cities and they say they have a really hard time getting the volunteers to help out," she says. "In Winnipeg it's almost a given." The World Cup stands to be an economic bonanza for the local hotel industry. Nearly 90% of the city's 7,000-plus hotel rooms had already been booked for the period of June 10 - 14 by late April. Hotel industry experts have predicted nearly a quarter of all revenue generated during the World Cup in Winnipeg will be spent on accommodations. "We're already looking at what can be used outside the city because our hotels are almost sold out," Sturk-Nadeau says. The local retail sector can anticipate a big bump in its bottom line. And Winnipeg's restaurants and bars can expect to do brisk business, with fans, volunteers, organizers and coaches looking to wet their whistles and fill their bellies. Tourism Winnipeg has also worked with the hospitality industry to create an athletes' attraction pass that will provide players with free or discounted access to a number of local attractions. It's part of an effort to encourage them to promote the city to friends and family back home and across the world. FiFa Women's World cup canada 2015 brings net gains By Jim Timlick FiFa Fa F Women's World cup canada 2015 brings net gains By Jim Timlick kick for the economy

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