The World Aquatics Diving World Cup being held in Windsor is filling up hotel rooms and bringing in people from around the world.
The event opens Thursday at the Windsor International Aquatics and Training Centre, but it sold out weeks ago, something organizers say is a first when it comes to how far ahead an event like this sold out.
CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, Gordon Orr, says he was told out-of-town ticket sales are in the 10 to 15 per cent range for other diving events.
"73 per cent of the ticket holders this coming weekend are from outside of the market, meaning they've travelled a distance to be here," he says. "The further away they are, of course, the more money they will spend, which is fantastic. It sold out very early; within the last four weeks, tickets for Saturday and Sunday were sold out."
Orr says the biggest market for tickets was the Greater Toronto Area, including Mississauga.
"But we've got friends from the U.S. coming, Philadelphia, Vegas, and Chicago. We've got other countries coming, like Europe, Japan, China, and Australia. So this truly is an international global event," he says.
"It's just shy of $300 for the per spend, per visit, per person each day and night. That's the direct spending; sometimes it's lower, sometimes it's higher," he says.
Orr adds the event also helps them develop a sports tourism roster that they can show to other sports organizers of what Windsor-Essex can do as a host.
The second stop of the international competition will run from Thursday to Sunday and feature 119 elite athletes from 24 countries, including many Olympians who competed at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Scores from the Windsor competition and the most recent one in Mexico will determine qualification and seeding for the World Cup Super Final from May 2-4 in Beijing, China.