Toronto sports fans won’t be the only ones on the edge of their seats Sunday when the Blue Jays face off in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). For the first time since 2016, the city will be electrified with a deep playoff run that’s expected to draw crowds to local businesses and put Toronto in the spotlight. “There’s no question that runs like this have a positive impact on the local economy; hospitality, food, and beverage especially, but also on (merchandise) purchases, etc.,” says John Kiru, executive director of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA). He adds that local businesses are “absolutely” excited and looking forward to a long run for the Jays. “This is exactly why civic builders have promoted building the arenas, the hockey rinks, or the professional franchises in the downtown core surrounded by these establishments, because it’s no secret that there is a direct beneficial economic impact,” Kiru says. For a downtown core which is still recovering from the walloping it took during the COVID-19 pandemic, the extra foot traffic is a welcome shot in the arm, local officials say. “There’s nothing like winning,” Coun. Shelley Carroll says, noting there’s “huge excitement” about the Jays among residents and businesses she speaks with. “Our downtown core really needs a boost right now, and this is just what we’ve been waiting for.” Carroll, who serves as the mayor’s economic development & culture champion, called the playoff run a “boon” for Toronto’s hospitality industry. From hotels down to hot dog vendors, Carroll said visitors from whichever cities the Jays end up playing are expected to give a boost to the local economy. Hotels already seeing a bump According to Destination Toronto, the nonprofit agency that markets the city to visitors and large events, Toronto has already seen a bump from the Jays playoff action. “This past Saturday night when the Yankees were here, hotel demand was up six per cent, as compared to the previous two years (on that night),” Destination Toronto vice-President Kelly Jackson told CP24. “So this shows you the power of attraction that these playoffs have when we’re talking about sports tourism and bringing inbound visitation to the city.” Jackson said that as Canada’s only Major League Baseball team, the Jays regularly attract visitors from around the country during the regular season, and that excitement has grown with the playoffs. She added that Toronto is a draw for some fans, even if they don’t have tickets to the game itself. “Blue Jays fans who come to Toronto have endless opportunities to be part of the action, whether they’re at the game or not, because we have such a wide range of restaurants, bars, watch parties that will be happening throughout the city,” Jackson says. “And so I think certainly, people are drawn to being right in that kind of action, and being able to say they were a part of it.” An extended sporting event can be big business for the city. Jackson points to the NHL All-Star Weekend Toronto hosted in 2024. “That weekend alone generated an estimated $54 million in economic benefits, and we saw that the downtown hotel accommodation demand was up 35 per cent compared to the previous year, and that’s just one weekend,” Jackson says. “So you know when you add up a series of games over a divisional series and beyond, you create the conditions to really bring some additional economic benefits to the city.” A big spotlight for Toronto David Roberts is an associate professor of urban studies at the University of Toronto who teaches a course on “Cities and Mega-Events.” He says he’s wary when it comes to attaching dollar figures to large events in terms of their economic impact. “I’m always a bit skeptical on that. It’s really hard to isolate the specific economic bump from an event, a sporting event, versus all kinds of other noise,” Roberts says. Still, he says that the reputational boost for Toronto is an undeniable opportunity for the city. “People are tuning in and paying attention, and not just to what’s happening on the field, but the kind of commentary that happens around it,” Roberts says. He said that can include commentary about the skyline, the weather and what’s going on in the city around the game that could make people wonder whether it might be a nice place to visit. “I think those types of things do matter, in terms of reputation, in terms of tourist dollars, in terms of those demographic and economic conditions,” Roberts says. Carroll echoes that thought. “There’s a long-term impact to things like this. We know that from the last time back in the 90s (when the Jays won back-to-back World Series) and we know it across the destination business,” she says. “When you have a win like this, and people see a joyous city core, and they get familiar with our spectacular skyline from just watching the coverage… before you know it, you see a long-term positive impact on destination marketing as soon as you put out the ads.” She notes that hosting major events like a playoff series is a challenge as well and that the city will have to be on its game, but she says Toronto is up to the task, having recently handled large-crowd events like the Taylor Swift concerts with flying colours. A chance to come together Beyond dollars and marketing, Roberts says the playoff run for the Jays, who touch a “pretty wide demographic,” offers an opportunity for one more benefit closer to home. “You don’t have things that really bring us together as a full kind of city very often. So I think it’s those shared experiences that just give us some sense of connection with our neighbours, with people from different walks of life who are tuned in to cheer on the local team,” he says. “So I think that’s the best way to think about it is that it’s an opportunity to really share in an experience and kind of come together for something.” The best-of-seven series, which will determine which team from the American League advances to the World Series, kicks off on Sunday.
