There’s some encouraging news from destination marketing groups on the effects of COVID-19. But also some disturbing trends surrounding business travel and sports. I’ve got some thoughts and links to published stories on all three of those topics today on my FUTURE OF TRAVEL blog. First, I’ll offer the encouraging news. A report by my friends at TravelPulse in the U.S. finds that destination marketing folks are feeling more optimistic these days. Reporter Claudette Covey wrote that the fourth wave of a survey conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence and Destinations International Foundation “found that increasing numbers of destination organizations are Read more
Tourism Toronto
Canada has, on occasion, been laughed at for being a tad on safe and conservative side of the tourism ledger. Given the climate we’re living in and the COVID-19 crisis, “safe” might be the best thing we have going for us, tourism consultant Greg Klassen says. Speaking on Hotelier Magazine’s Checking In podcast with host Rosanna Caira, Klassen said he worked for more than a decade at Destination Canada, selling the country to potential visitors. “We were always fighting this notion of Canada as a safe place,” said Klassen, a partner at Twenty31 consulting in Vancouver. “But people were going Read more
Toronto has once again set a new visitor record with 28.1 million visitors in the city, topping 2018’s 27.5 million visitors.* Visitors to Toronto spent $6.7 billion in the destination in 2019, including restaurants, attractions, transportation, retail and accommodations – nearly $200 million more than in 2018. The new visitor numbers showcase the strength of Toronto’s visitor economy that experienced a decade of growth with more than 4 million more visitors added over 10 years. “Toronto’s visitor economy continues to be an economic engine for the city, and that benefits all of us. This is a sector of Toronto’s economy Read more
I’ve often written that tourism slogans and campaigns may not matter much in the end. But I could be wrong, and I like the inclusive feeling of this new one from my own city of Toronto. Tourism Toronto today (June 19) announced it’s launching a new destination marketing campaign called “Let Yourself In.” The campaign comes fresh on the heels of the multicultural Toronto Raptors capturing the NBA championship and capitalizes on the city’s sense of welcome and diversity. The campaign also arrives as Toronto celebrates another record year in visitation, having welcomed 44 million travellers into the city in Read more
Talk about hogging the spotlight. Toronto last year welcomed almost 44 million visitors, spending $8.8 billion – both record numbers. All told, 43.7 million visitors were welcomed to the region last yearn. For the first time, overnight visits in Toronto, which Tourism Toronto folks like to call “Canada’s Downtown,” surpassed the 15 million mark (15.5 million), joined by 28.2 million same-day travellers. Visitors to Toronto spent $8.8 billion – the most economic activity ever generated by the region’s tourism industry. That figure represents $700 million in extra funds over 2016 levels for hotel rooms booked, attractions seen and restaurants experienced. Read more
