Kingston's Sport Tourism Initiative

Tourism Kingston recognizes the significance and value of sporting events, and is committed to enhancing Kingston's image as a premier sports event destination through its Sport Tourism initiative. Kingston's Sport Tourism initiative targets high-profile national and international sporting events that showcase our community as a sport friendly, sport embracing, premier tourist destination.

 Sport Tourism Objectives

1. To increase the number, scope and impact of Sports Tourism events held in the Kingston area.
2. To create a "one-stop shop" for event planners and teams considering Kingston as a host community.
3. To raise Kingston's Community profile through sports tourism.
4. To identify desired sports tourism events and prepare bids to secure their choice of Kingston.
5. To Maintain and enhance current sports tourism events - to showcase our competence and attract more visitors.
6. To provide feedback from the marketplace regarding specifics of events - successes, deficiencies, etc. Develop reports that include economic impact, what the participants and fans thought of the event, and what changes we will make for the next event.
7. To measure the impact of events using STEAM (Sport Tourism Economic Assessment Model) to assess the economic impact.
8. To secure corporate partnerships.

 Read more about the Sport Tourism Action Plan: Kingston's 2009-2012 Sport Tourism Action Plan

Testimonials

"Teams spoke of the great amenities for training, hotels and close proximity to the central downtown area. Often teams are located away from these areas - so players were happy to be able to enjoy the downtown area. The other aspect that teams enjoyed was that people were very aware of the event - and made players and staff feel very welcome to the area. Team managers also spoke of the willingness of volunteers to provide whatever was required by teams to get the maximum training and results for the athletes."

Graham Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Rugby Canada

"Kingston's enthusiasm, state of the art facilities, first rate volunteers and local amenities made holding this event a great deal easier and by all feedback - a great success……they have raised the bar for other communities and future WJC events like this."   

Bob O'Doherty, General Manager, 2009 IIHF WJC

"Hospitality, charm and the historic ambiance of the entire area will have many of our people returning for vacations in the future. It is a wonderful environment for future national and international events, with the new facilities, as well as the city being the historic birthplace of our national game."

Brent Ladds, President, Ontario Hockey Association

"The organization of these championships and the way they looked after all the teams, has been outrageously good, this my fifth (FISU) Games and quite easily the best one."

2010 FISU World University Cross Country Championships

Chris Colman, Team Manager-  Great Britain 

For more information regarding Sport Tourism in Kingston, please contact us at 613-544-2725 or toll-free at 1-866-665-3326.