Toronto Breaks Tourism Records
by Richard D'Ambrosio
Europeans are interested in visiting Toronto during the FIFA World Cup.
Toronto had a record-breaking 2017, welcoming 43.7 million visitors to the region, spending $8.8 billion locally, including more than $700 million on overnight lodging, attractions and room nights.
International visits topped 5 million for the first time, with nearly 3 million American overnight visitors, spending $1.8 billion. An additional 2.1 million overnight visitors arrived from overseas markets led by China (319,000) and the U.K. (263,000). Overseas spending accounted for more than $2 billion for the first time, increasing the 2016 spend by $231 million.
Visits from Mexico were up 72 percent in 2017, stimulated in part by Canada no longer requiring Mexicans to obtain a visa to visit Canada. Toronto also welcomed 10.4 million overnight Canadian visitors, spending $2.6 billion in 2017.
As a result of the large increase in tourism, Toronto region hotels sold 10,113,281 room nights last year, with occupancy levels exceeding 76 percent.
Travel Market Report will be hosting Travel MarketPlace EAST in Toronto, May 22-23. Designed for Canadian travel professionals and suppliers, the conference has been so popular in its previous four years that Travel Market Report is this year also hosting Travel MarketPlace WEST in Vancouver, March 1-2.
