Call of Duty league Championship boosts tourism in Waterloo Region

Waterloo Region’s tourism industry is getting a power up from a major esports tournament. CTV’s Heather Senoran explains.

Businesses in the area are benefiting from Canada’s first Call of Duty League Championship at the Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.

The four-day tournament started on Thursday and is expected to bring up to 15,000 people from all over the world to Waterloo Region.

Some of the competing teams are from the United States, and their fans came with them to cheer their favourite teams on.

“So we do see a pretty dedicated fan base that tends to travel for this. And there’s definitely people from outside of North America that are fans of the league that are here as well,” said Allister Scorgie, the director of sport hosting with Explore Waterloo Region.

The Call of Duty League Championship is usually held in larger U.S. cities.

“Lots of people that are here this weekend have never been here and probably didn’t even know Waterloo Region existed until they found out about the Call of Duty Championship. It really is opening up a whole new market of visitors to the area,” said Scorgie.

Scorgie said the economic impact is projected to be in the millions.

Restaurants told CTV News they’ve been busier than ever as event goers head out to eat or shop at local stores. Hotels are also running out of rooms.

DoubleTree by Hilton Kitchener is fully booked because of the event.

“The lobby’s been pretty fun. We’re seeing gamers around or seeing crew and different people that are associated with the event,” said Mandy Multani who works at the hotel. “It’s exciting. We do have a lot of events here. We do conferences and things like that, but it’s a different clientele.”

Explore Waterloo Region said it is good for event goers too, calling it the perfect spot for a big tournament like this.

“You’re going to get a lot more bang for your buck in Waterloo Region than you would in a really big market,” said Scorgie.

It’s the first time a major esports event is being held in the region, but many are hoping it won’t be the last.

The championship weekend wraps up on Sunday, with plenty of fans expected to arrive in the area over the weekend to watch the big finale.