UBC Faculty Research and Publications

Economic impact of the 2014 Special Olympics summer games on the BC economy Somerville, Tsur; Taylor, Blake

Abstract

The Special Olympics offers an exceptional opportunity for persons with intellectual disabilities to come together through sport. The program transforms the lives of all those who participate, assist, or watch the events, changing attitudes about disabilities, and in the process to make all of us and our communities stronger. By bringing people together, Special Olympics teaches us to recognize our similarities rather than focus on our differences. This past July, UBC and Vancouver hosted the 2014 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games at UBC’s Point Grey campus. Over 2000 participants and coaches were joined by an estimated 2000 family members, friends, and other spectators in competition as well as marvel in and celebrate the achievements of the participants. Hosting a national event may also bring an economic benefit to the host community and province. This report summarizes the analysis of the net economic impact of the July 2014 Games on the Province of British Columbia. Using provincial input-­‐output tables, survey and registration information for participants and attendees, and Tourism Vancouver surveys, the Games is estimated to have provided a boost of $1,027,000 to the provincial GDP, $139,000 for the provincial treasury, and led to an increase in employment for 2014 of the equivalent of 26.5 full-­‐time jobs. While not fully disaggregated, the vast share of the benefit occurs in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland rather than being spread out through the province.

Item Citations and Data

Rights

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 Canada