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The off-ice benefits from the Esso Cup are still being felt in Prince Albert. (Logan Lehman/paNOW Staff)
Esso Cup Economy

Chamber notes economic, tourism boost to Prince Albert from Esso Cup

May 4, 2023 | 5:00 PM

The final buzzer may have sounded and all the goals may have been scored, but there are still some numbers to be tallied in regards to the Esso Cup in Prince Albert. Those numbers will have a very friendly look to them for local businesses.

Hotels, restaurants, and the Art Hauser Centre itself all drew in more customers and more dollars than they normally would have at that time of year. And that wasn’t the only area in which the tournament brought in more revenue.

“Because we were based in the tourism office, we had a lot of interest from the teams not from the city coming in wanting to learn more about Prince Albert,” said Patty Hughes, CEO of the Prince Albert and District Chamber of Commerce. “We had the opportunity to showcase some of our local museums and some of our tourist attractions.”

This was perhaps a less obvious benefit of the tournament, but by no means the only one. In speaking with local restaurants and hotels, Hughes found some of the other ways the tournament provided the city with a boost.

“They just said they were really busy and glad to see that activity,” she said. “It bolstered and supported the restaurant industry for sure.”

After a stretch of time where events weren’t happening, a major tournament like the Esso Cup arriving in Prince Albert provided a big shot in the arm for the economy of the city, and according to Hughes, for the image of the community as well as it was shown on TSN.

“Any time we can show Prince Albert in a very positive light is a great opportunity,” said Hughes. “Hats off to the organizers and the volunteers for putting on a fabulous event. It was spectacular and a great showcase of what Prince Albert is and can have to offer.”

Hughes said if there was one aspect of the tournament that surprised her, it was that teams from other communities were so interested to learn more about the city.

“They had some downtime,” she said. “They couldn’t be holed up in their hotel rooms all the time. The volunteers were fantastic in coming here and saying, ‘hey, what is there going on?’ and organizing the tours and that kind of thing.”

The final totals of both the money raised for the legacy project and the economic impact on Prince Albert are still being added up.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP

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