Thousands of soccer fans descending on Toronto for the FIFA World Cup are planning trips outside of the city, a new report suggests.
Destination Ontario, in partnership with Context Research Group, released a report Thursday indicating that among potential visitors from the United States and European markets, some are either interested in, actively planning or have booked travel to Ontario for the tournament.
The findings, which are based on computer-assisted web interviews conducted between Feb. 14 and 20, show nine in 10 travellers are likely to explore other regions or destinations during their FIFA World Cup trip; more than half (54 per cent) are most likely to travel outside Toronto after the tournament ends.
Toronto will host six matches during the tournament, which will also see games played in Vancouver, the United States and Mexico between June 11 and July 19.
Toronto’s group-stage matches, which include Canada’s tournament opener on June 12, will feature nations such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Croatia, Ghana, Panama, Cote d’Ivoire, Senegal and Iraq.
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Toronto’s final match will be an as-yet-undecided Round of 32 knockout match on July 2 at 7 p.m.
“Niagara stands out as the leading extension, followed by Ottawa and a set of secondary regions within a manageable travel radius. In practice, most visitors see two to three hours as the upper limit for day trips and around four hours for overnight travel, which effectively defines the realistic catchment for tournament-driven dispersion,” the report reads.
“Families travelling with children and couples are particularly likely to explore beyond Toronto, as are travellers who have previously visited other parts of Ontario. Timing also varies by market. Travellers from the U.S. and U.K. are more likely to explore after the tournament, while those from Germany and France are more likely to do so during the tournament period.”
The report added visitors’ travel choices within Ontario are primarily driven by practical constraints like time and cost.
“The same themes reappear as barriers to going beyond Toronto, where limited trip time, overall budgets, the extra cost of travelling further, and concerns about travel duration or congestion all dampen appetite for regional exploration,” the report reads.
“Against this backdrop, information needs are highly functional. Travellers want clear guidance on food, navigation, attractions, travel times, budgets, and accommodation both before and during their trip, with first-time event travellers especially reliant on help with restaurant and cost information.”
FIFA said in December 2025 the tournament could generate up to $940 million in positive economic output for the Greater Toronto Area, including $520 million in GDP growth, $340 million in labour income and $25 million in government revenue.
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