TIFF brings 'pop up economy' with small biz, overall spending up 10% in 2025

TIFF kicks off Thursday night with Academy Award winner Sian Heder's big-screen adaptation of Judy Heumann's bestselling memoir Being Heumann. See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Article content The Toronto International Film Festival, which unfurls Thursday and runs until Sept. 20, isn't just about movie-watching and star-gazing. It also creates a 'pop-up economy' according to data from Visa, whose 29-year-old partnership with TIFF continues this year. Visa says last year, TIFF saw local small business spending up 10% year-over-year, while overall spending in the TIFF Zone – where the majority of films are shown along King Street – grew 10%. Meanwhile, foreign visitor spending hit a record high — up 15% year-over-year — accounting for 20% of all local commerce during the festival. Additionally, since 2022, the number of small businesses operating in the TIFF Zone expanded by 30%, driving a 20% increase in small business sales. 'For nearly three decades, Visa has been proud to partner with TIFF, one of the world's most influential film festivals,' said Michiel Wielhouwer, President and Country Manager, Visa Canada, in a statement.