‘Hotels were full’; Ontario Summer Games were huge boost to London Sport Tourism

The 2024 Ontario Summer Games (OSG) were good for business.

“The hotels have been full, and we've heard a lot of great things from restaurants as well,” says Zanth Jarvis, director of Sport Tourism with Tourism London.

“It was a great impact on tourism for the city this weekend.”

Three-thousand five hundred athletes and their families were in the Forest City over the course of four days, as the OSG returned to London for the first time since 2018.

“The Olympics is a goal of mine, and this was kind of like a mini-Olympics,” said Sam Moore, a London volleyball player who attends Oakridge Secondary School.

There were 18 sports at venues around London and the surrounding area.

Championships and medals were handed out on Saturday and Sunday.

“I’m feeling amazing because it is one of the biggest tournaments of the year,” said Aiden Zhao, a Toronto, Ont. teen who won bronze in table tennis.

Alex Wei (top left) and his doubles partner Aiden Zhao won bronze in table tennis during the Ontario Summer Games in London, Ont. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)

“We practice and train a lot for this, so, it does feel rewarding.”

Lexa McCord, 14, of Orillia was shocked to win the girls 300m hurdles in Athletics.

“I had school season, but I'm not a part of a track club or anything, so this is like my first time doing this,” McCord told CTV immediately following her race.

“It's been really fun meeting new people here.”

Athletes were housed in dorms at Fanshawe College and Western University, giving them the feel of an Olympic Village.

“It is my first time coming to London,” said Alec Wei, a table tennis player from Ottawa.

“The dorms are pretty good. Everyone has their own separate room which was great. I was happy to win a medal but honestly, the result doesn't matter. We just came here to have fun with our friends.”

From the massive opening ceremony with 7,000 people and a concert by Reve, to packed venues, it was exactly what Tourism London had envisioned.

“Events like the Brier or those major events, you can only do once every couple of years,” said Jarvis.

“These grassroots minor sports tournaments, not the Summer Games, but some sort of minor sports tournaments, we have pretty much every single weekend throughout the summer. It’s really those are those events are really what makes sport tourism, thrive in our city.”