A new study of downtown Toronto commerce shows the tourism industry has bounced back nicely from the pandemic. But we’re not out of the woods yet. The Toronto Star on Thursday ran a story that talked about a University of Toronto School of Cities study that looked at cellphone usage in the city centre to determine the number of daily visitors to various types of buildings. Looking at 2019 levels versus 2023, the study found that Toronto’s hospitality buildings had a 100% recovery rate in terms of visitors. The recovery rate for office buildings was only 69%, and for retail Read more
tourism industry
Canada’s new federal tourism minister says Canadian tourism officials need to keep marketing Canadian domestic travel. It’s a nice thought. And he’s right. But domestic tourism can’t possibly take the place of international visitors. A recent story in the Globe and Mail noted that visitors to Ontario’s hip Prince Edward County spend an average of $74 per day. Visitors spend more than $400 per day, which is more than five times as much. This is an issue all around the world, and all across Canada. Locals who drive to a destination, say, from Calgary to Banff, might buy a family Read more
With the Canadian tourism and travel sectors in a state of disaster, some of the world’s most important and influential business leaders and the World Travel and Tourism Council today demanded action from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urgently called on the Canadian government for strong leadership and unprecedented international collaboration, to save the struggling Travel & Tourism sector and recover the millions of jobs already impacted,” said the letter, obtained by TravelPulse Canada. “Over 100 of the world’s major travel and global business leaders, from major airlines, airports, hotels, tour operators Read more
I’ve been saying for years now that the federal government in Ottawa doesn’t understand tourism and doesn’t give it the support it should. Now I see that MP Elizabeth May and TV comedian/pundit Rick Mercer are saying the same thing. Here’s my Globe and Mail blog from Friday, Feb. 20…. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/travel-news/when-will-the-government-give-tourism-the-respect-it-deserves/article23115880/
