Media release
Calgary to host the IIHF Women’s World Championship for the first time
From Aug. 20 – 31, 10 international teams will compete in a safe bubble environment at WinSport, injecting an estimated $8 million into Calgary’s economy
June 2, 2021 – Hockey Canada announced today that Calgary has been selected as the host city for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) 2021 Women’s World Championship. Scheduled from Aug. 20 – 31, 2021 in a safe bubble environment at WinSport, the event will attract athletes and coaches from 10 countries and will inject an estimated $8 million into Calgary’s economy.
Building on Calgary’s recent success as safe hosts of Curling Canada’s multi-event bubble, this is a significant win for Calgary’s tourism industry and economy.
“Calgary has earned an international reputation as a safe hosting destination,” says Carson Ackroyd, Senior Vice President of Sales, Tourism Calgary. “Tourism Calgary is very proud to partner with Hockey Canada to bring this event to our city for the benefit of the athletes, fans from around the world, Calgary’s tourism industry and our city’s economy.”
Events like this support all sectors of Calgary’s tourism industry and are made possible thanks to an enduring commitment to safety among hosting partners and all orders of government. Significant work and collaboration have taken place between Tourism Calgary, Hockey Canada, WinSport, Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services to ensure the athletes, coaches and support staff from all 10 teams have a safe and memorable experience in Calgary as they compete for gold.
For Tourism Calgary, executing on its event attraction strategy and working with partners to secure and safely host international events is an important step in supporting the recovery of Calgary’s critical tourism industry, which has been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Beyond generating significant economic impact and far-reaching community legacy benefits, hosting this major sporting event will help keep Calgary top-of-mind as a future travel and event destination through broadcast coverage to millions of international viewers.
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About Tourism Calgary
Tourism Calgary is the official destination marketing and development organization for Calgary's tourism industry. For more than 60 years, the organization’s primary purpose has been to promote Calgary and area as the destination of choice for leisure travellers. With a vision of making Calgary the ultimate host city, Tourism Calgary markets the city locally, nationally and internationally and advocates for its ongoing development as a destination. The organization hosts and attracts visitors and events and activates the city by fostering the growth of shareable, memorable experiences. Pre-pandemic, Calgary’s tourism industry contributed approximately $2.5 billion in visitor spending by over 7 million visitors annually. For more information about Tourism Calgary, please visit www.visitcalgary.com or follow @tourismcalgary on social channels.