Presidents Cup Subsidy: Tourism Ministry Data Reveals Discrepancies in Visitor Numbers and Economic Impact
Quebec’s Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx, initially projected 45,000 visitors from outside the province for the 2024 PGA Presidents Cup, securing a $6.5 million subsidy. However, recent data paints a vastly different picture, with actual attendance significantly lower and the promised economic benefits yet to be definitively assessed. An investigation by Radio-Canada, using Access to Information legislation, has uncovered a detailed visitor attendance report, alongside critical questions about the event’s true financial return.
According to the 2024 attendance report obtained by Radio-Canada, a total of 50,601 people attended the tournament held from September 24 to 29, 2024, representing just over a quarter (26%) of attendees originating from outside Quebec. This starkly contrasts with the initial claims.
Origin of Tourists Out of Quebec Present at the PGA Presidents Cup
- Rest of Canada: 21.1%
- United States: 4.2%
- Other Countries: 0.7%
The Ministry of Tourism justifies its initial visitor estimate by basing its analysis on “total traffic” – the number of days of participation – rather than individual attendee counts. This approach resulted in a recorded 76,656 days of participation, with 25,240 days attributed to visitors from outside Quebec. However, skeptics argue that this metric obscures the true scope of the event’s impact.
Economic Benefits?
While organizers collected data on expected visitor expenses through surveys, this information wasn’t included in the ‘Ruggling Study’ submitted to the Quebec Ministry of Tourism. Tournament officials maintain that assessing economic impact falls to their government partner, each jurisdiction applying its own evaluation methodologies. This opacity further complicates the calculation of the event’s return on investment.
The ministry acknowledges that the evaluation of economic benefits is ongoing, emphasizing the need to consider more than just hotel nights and visitor spending. Philippe Barla, a professor of economics at Laval University, contends that a comprehensive analysis must measure the net effect on the economy, factoring in potential unintended consequences like increased hotel prices and congestion.
“We are subsidizing leisure activities of better wealthy people,”
Philippe Barla, professor in the Department of Economics at Laval University
Traders from Bizard Island presented themselves at the Montreal City Hall on March 17, 2025, requesting city compensation for lost income linked to the event. Barla highlights the broader issue, suggesting that major sporting events often have minimal or even negative economic consequences. He references studies on events like the Super Bowl, revealing potential trade-offs between tourism revenue and other economic indicators like GDP growth.
“There are no very strong links and sometimes they are negative links. So it is not at all obvious that it is a good investment to stimulate tourism”
Philippe Barla, professor in the Department of Economics at Laval University
Notably, Quebec isn’t alone in investing public funds in the PGA tournament. Ottawa contributed $2.5 million through Canada Economic Development, while Tourisme Montréal provided an additional $500,000 to support the event. This collective investment totals nearly $9.5 million, supported by Montreal City Hall’s $1.35 million contribution. Despite the considerable expenditure, the true economic impact of the Presidents Cup remains under scrutiny.
The ministry maintains that the international exposure generated by the event—estimated to have reached 30 million viewers globally and 49 million online—represents a valuable long-term asset. However, experts, like Barla, urge a more nuanced evaluation beyond traditional measures of tourism spending.
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