The event yielded $22.8 million in wages and salaries in Canada through the support of 388 jobs, of which 291 jobs and $16.7 million in wages and salaries were in Saskatchewan.
The total attendance reported was 210,000 over six days of festival activities. One-third of attendees travelled to Regina from outside the province. Attendees took in an average of three days of events. Overall experience was scored at an impressive 4.6 out of 5, with 94 per cent of those surveyed rating the event as “excellent” or “very good.”
Planning for the 2022 Grey Cup Festival and 109th Grey Cup put a special emphasis on providing new and innovative experiences for the entire family. In turn, family-friendly events were among the highest attended free events at the Festival including Gainer’s Heartland, presented by Tourism Saskatchewan, the Digital Zone, presented by SaskTel, SaskPower Family Fair and the NexGen Energy Drone Show.
The highest ticketed event (excluding the game itself) were the fan favourite team party rooms – hosted by the CFL Clubs – which were accessible this year with purchase of the popular team party pass.
The study was commissioned by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the CFL with Sport Tourism Canada’s economic impact team managing the surveying and data collection process. The team used the STEAMPRO economic impact assessment (EIA) model to produce a detailed report with the EIA in terms of total output, GDP, wages and salaries, employment and taxes.
Additional findings include:
· The event generated $19.6 million in tourism spending, with Regina welcoming 26,669 out-of-town visitors to the city.
· On average, $1,516 was spent per party attending the Grey Cup and Festival, including on accommodations, restaurants, entertainment and retail.
· 92 per cent of out-of-town attendees stayed overnight in Regina during their visit, averaging a 3.5-night stay.
Additional facts and figures:
· More than 8.2 million Canadians tuned in to parts of the 109th Grey Cup game on TSN and RDS.
· Nearly 250 accredited media members provided coverage during Grey Cup week, including the championship game and its associated events, and the Festival.
· The Grey Cup Festival saw more than 17 million online interactions and 12,300 downloads of the Grey Cup Festival app.
· Over 1,000 planning and event volunteers who invested more than 30,000 hours supporting the planning and delivery of the event.
· $750,000 invested back into the province through Grey Cup Legacy programs.
· 34 Festival and Grey Cup partners added to the fun and festivities throughout the week
CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie:
“The power of the Grey Cup in bringing together Canadians from coast to coast to coast never ceases to amaze me. We knew the City of Regina, the province of Saskatchewan and the Roughriders would put on a tremendous event but seeing that vision come to life was truly awe-inspiring. We’re beyond grateful to our passionate fans, Rider Nation, organizers, staff and volunteers; it is their incredible efforts that grew our great game and brought in nearly $70 million nationally to strengthen and support Canadian families and communities.”
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