How High-Speed Rail Will Boost Tourism from Big Cities to Small Towns

Before embarking on any large-scale project, a tremendous amount of research must be conducted to ensure that the time, the effort, and the investment are worth the outcome.  

At Alto, we have engaged experts at all levels to guide our high-speed rail project, from engineers to environmental specialists. But before any major planning began, we took a big step back and asked: Who will ride our trains? Who will benefit?  

While we conducted our own thorough analysis, we also sought an independent, third-party review. To this end, Alto engaged CPCS to research the project and provide real-world, objective results. CPCS is a well-respected infrastructure and management consulting firm that helps to plan, finance, and deliver large infrastructure projects worldwide. 

The CPCS’s ‘Tourism in the Alto Corridor’ Report 

How does one go about calculating the broader impacts of infrastructure projects like HSR? It begins with CPCS establishing the current baseline of tourism patterns, then incorporating key assumptions like reduced travel times, improved connectivity, and new travel behaviours, while also drawing on international high-speed rail case studies to inform realistic benchmarks.

From there, CPCS developed forecasts to estimate how the introduction of HSR would influence tourism outcomes, including shifts in day trips, overnight stays, visitor volumes, and spending, and then extended the analysis to quantify broader economic impacts.

What we learned is that Alto’s impact on tourism has the potential to be a game-changer for many communities.

Higher policy coordination for higher benefits

Alto high‑speed rail will connect major urban centres from Toronto to Québec City. Of course, the greatest and fastest gains in tourism and travel will naturally go to the cities with stations.  But HSR will also create opportunities for all communities along the corridor, especially if tourism policies are implemented to coordinate their efforts with Alto. Towns along the route can tap into the influx of tourism by connecting to the train through inter-modality, making it easier for people to keep traveling beyond the main hubs.

The projections reflect a moderate level of coordination between communities and the rail network, such as local transit links, regional shuttles, and aligned visitor information. The report also notes that with stronger coordination and more seamless connections, these tourism gains could grow substantially.

Most of the impact will come from people moving within the corridor, with more day trips initially, and then a gradual increase in overnight stays, especially as events, conferences, and multi‑city trips become more common.  

Key takeaways: GDP and job creation

Not only does the CPCS report confirm that the travel and tourism generated by having high-speed rail will be significant enough to warrant a project of this grandeur, but it also includes tangible projections which take into account both direct and indirect impacts. 

The report estimates that the broader economic impact tied to increased tourism would contribute about $1 billion in GDP each year through higher visitor spending. That same growth is expected to support around 11,500 additional jobs across the rail corridor, reflecting how gains in tourism ripple across local businesses and communities. As one quick example, increased demand for restaurants will lead to increased demand for products from farmers, and more income for all workers. 

The CPCS report has made it clear that high-speed rail won’t just provide fast, safe, and comfortable travel for millions of passengers, it will generate meaningful and long-term economic benefits for Canadians.

Read the report: Tourism in the Alto Corridor: Current Conditions and Potential Impacts