How FIFA World Cup 2026 Turned Toronto Into Ontario’s Biggest Tourism Win

September 2, 2026 Team Contributor

The stadiums have fallen silent. The winners have entered FIFA’s hallowed halls.  But the growing crescendo of Ontario’s rise on the tourism map confirms that a global sporting event pays off long after the final whistle.

A new visitor study released by Destination Ontario found that more than nine in ten travellers who came to Toronto for FIFA World Cup 2026 say they’re likely to return to the province for a leisure trip within the next two years. That’s welcome news for Toronto tourism. Approximately 250,000 fans attended the six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches at the LEED Gold-certified Toronto Stadium.  

The FIFA gamble has certainly paid off for Toronto.

A global audience showed up

The tournament didn’t just draw local crowds. Survey respondents came from nine Canadian provinces, 25 U.S. states, and 57 countries. Sort of one big global celebration, as it has been for FIFA. Four in five visitors said the World Cup itself was their main reason for coming. Hotel occupancy averaged 72% during part of the tournament.

More than 350,000 people attended FIFA Fan Festival™ Toronto over 23 event days. The vibrant event brought together 86 performers, including 80 Canadian performers (75 of whom were local) and 19 cultural acts.

Uptick in spending during FIFA 2026

Overnight visitors spent an average of $1,033 per person in Ontario, and most visitors stayed close to seven nights on average. This excludes match tickets and flights.

One in four overnight visitors also travelled beyond Toronto during their trip. These visitors contributed to the tourism economy of other parts of the province. Destination Toronto separately reported a record 28.2 million visitors and over $9 billion in visitor spending across 2025, giving this tournament data real context for scale.

Thumbs up to Toronto

Perception numbers back up the spending data. Ninety-six per cent of visitors rated Ontario as a safe destination, 93 per cent praised its customer service, and more than nine in ten rated both Toronto and Ontario as a must-visit travel destination.

Most visitors were charmed by the multicultural atmosphere and rated it higher than cities in the US, finding there’s plenty of culture, sightseeing, and exciting places in and around Toronto. Ninety per cent were satisfied with the FIFA Fan Festival Toronto experience specifically.

Taking Toronto to more people

There’s already a clear sign that the World Cup is putting Toronto on more travellers’ radars. Destination Ontario’s tracking found that awareness of Toronto as a FIFA World Cup host city rose by 20 percentage points between November 2025 and June 2026 among travellers in Ontario, across Canada and in key U.S. markets.

As Canada’s largest city and a converging hub for business, culture, and tourism, Toronto is seeing renewed interest, courtesy of FIFA 2026.

For many FIFA visitors, Toronto’s appeal was how much there was to discover beyond the stadium. The CN Tower remained the city’s unmistakable landmark, drawing crowds for its sweeping skyline views. At the same time, neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market, Chinatown and the Distillery District offered a more local side of the city, with colourful streets, independent shops, cafés and plenty of food to try.

Visitors had plenty of time to explore Toronto’s sports culture, from the Maple Leafs to the Raptors, and events such as the Toronto International Film Festival pulled them into its infectious energy. With foot traffic picking up across these popular areas during the tournament, FIFA has given many travellers their first taste of Toronto—and plenty of reasons to come back and explore more.

The tournament did more than bring visitors for match days. It’s putting Toronto in a bigger international spotlight and giving first-time visitors a reason to consider the city.

What it means for Ontario’s tourism

“The FIFA Fan Festival Toronto gave visitors from around the world the opportunity to experience Ontario’s energy, diversity and hospitality firsthand,” said Vincenza Ronaldi, President and CEO of Destination Ontario.

“These findings show that those experiences leave a lasting impression. When visitors enjoy their time here, they don’t just take home great memories; they begin planning their next trip. That’s the long-term value of hosting world-class events and why strategic partnerships like this are so important to Ontario’s visitor economy.”

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