In March 1998, representatives of interested organizations met and identified the need and support for the formation of a Sport Tourism Commission for Greater Victoria. It was agreed that Victoria needed an organization to coordinate and facilitate activities for the sport community, facility managers, and the tourism industry, with a mission to attract sport related events, meetings and conferences to Greater Victoria.
The University of Victoria’s School of Business conducted a feasibility study and the results were shared with community leaders who immediately identified the opportunity to gain support funding by establishing the Greater Victoria Sport Tourism Partnership.
Founding partners included Tourism Victoria, PacificSport Canadian Sport Centre, City of Victoria, University of Victoria, Royal Roads University and the Government of Canada. Members from the corporate community and other Greater Victoria municipalities soon joined the founding partners.
In May 2000 Hugh MacDonald was recruited to lead the partnership as its Executive Director. The partnership was registered as a non-profit society and carries on doing business under the brand SportHost Victoria.
