Millions of visitors, revenue show region as key travel destination
New tourism numbers are showing just how popular Waterloo Region is as a potential travel destination.
The data is coming from Explore Waterloo Region (Explore WR), which shows that around 5 million visitors made their way to the region in 2024, leading to $829 million in economic revenue. This comes as many are beginning to book tickets for their next vacation.
Looking at 2025, while the full figures still aren’t known, early indicators from January through to July saw a 2 per cent gain compared with the same period the year before, while the summer months saw a 5 per cent year-over-year boost.
CEO with Explore WR, Michele Saran, said a portion of the recent jump in tourism can be attributed to the ongoing political tensions between Canada and the United States, with more people staying north of the border rather than travelling down south.
“The region has always been a domestic destination,” said Saran. “Our biggest market is the GTA area, so their staying home just means a greater opportunity for us. We’ve given a lot of different reasons for people to come.”
She added that the recent increase and expansion to GO train service, which has been in effect since November, has only helped to capitalize on the added potential for Waterloo Region to be a key travel destination.
“It’s a great thing to be able to offer leisure visitors,” Saran mentioned. “Over 90 per cent of our visitors come from the GTA, so being able to hop on the train is such a great option.”
She pointed out some of the key contributors to the region’s popularity throughout the year, staples such as the St. Jacob’s Farmers Market, the Kitchener Blues Festival, Lumen, the Christkindl Market, and one of the regional staples, Oktoberfest.
“It’s really iconic. It’s part of the DNA of Waterloo Region,” said Saran. “We did an incredible partnership with Metrolinx this year that brought people on a branded train right into downtown Kitchener, so that was an exciting experience.”
Other key factors include the region’s sports and esports options that were seen over the summer months in particular, when the tourism scene usually sees its largest boom.
“We hosted a number of things this summer that were pretty awesome. We had the Call of Duty Championships in June. That’s brought in about $6 million in economic impact, so there were a lot of really interesting things that came around.”
Celebrations during the 2025 Call of Duty League Championship at the Kitchener Aud. (Josh Goeree/CityNews)
Looking ahead this year, Saran said that many of the classics and new favourites being offered in the region are expected to continue. She said there is a key sporting event that’s already garnering some attention, with plenty of work already underway.
“The very big thing for us that’s all-men-on-deck for is the Ontario Summer Games. We’re hosting that this summer,” Saran stated. “We are going to have 23 sports hosted here, we’re going to have 4,200 athletes. The economic impact of that is going to be between six and eight million dollars, so that’s one of the very big things.”
All-in-all, Saran said that the region’s blend of urban vibrancy and rural charm resonates with more people each year, leading to increased future hosting opportunities, encouragement for local businesses, and heightened potential for Waterloo Region to remain a key travel destination.
“These wins reflect a strong, competitive destination that’s ready for what’s next,” said Saran. “We’re not just responding to changes in travel behaviour, we’re actively shaping the future of tourism in Waterloo Region.”
