TORONTO,
Jan. 27 2010 (Hospitality Business NewS) It was a record year for tourism in
Toronto as the number of hotel room nights sold reached over 8.93 million.
Toronto moved up to sixth place in hotel occupancy among top North American cities from 10
th a year ago. Tourism Toronto's newly released tourism estimates for 2010 show a significant rebound from the prior year and important growth in key international markets.
"The momentum from 2010 shows the resilience and growing popularity of our destination," said
David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism
Toronto. "In addition, we've been working to complement our existing core business by increasing our visitors, be they meetings delegates or international travellers."
Hotel occupancy across the
Toronto region increased to 68.3 per cent up 9.7 per cent over the prior year, giving
Toronto the fifth highest growth rate and the sixth highest total occupancy rate.
In 2010,
Toronto welcomed 10 million overnight visitors. Visitor spending, including same day trips, totalled
$4.5 billion in the
Toronto region across a range of businesses and activities.
"More guests checking into hotels translates into more jobs being supported and created - not only in our hotels but also in our taxis, restaurants, shops, attractions and entertainment venues," noted
Terry Mundell, President of the Greater
Toronto Hotel Association. "This is also a vivid example of the kind of growth a destination can experience while enjoying a dedicated and consistent revenue stream from industry and government partners."
Key markets
The fastest growing visitor markets to
Toronto are
India (26.5 per cent increase)
Brazil (25.5 per cent)
China (21.9 per cent), and
Japan (18.3 per cent). International travellers now account for 32.8 per cent of all visitors.
The top international visitor markets for
Toronto in 2010 were:
| | | | | | 1. | U.S. | 1,970,000 |
| | | | | | 2. | U.K. | 194,000 |
| | | | | | 3. | China | 117,000 |
| | | | | | 4. | Germany | 78,000 |
| | | | | | 5. | France | 71,000 |
| | | | | | 6. | Japan | 70,000 |
| | | | | | 7. | India | 64,000 |
| | | | | | 8. | Brazil | 42,000 |
In 2010 the number of U.S. visitors remained steady compared to 2009, but showed a continued shift toward high-value urban travellers. Air arrivals to
Toronto from the U.S. have increased for the past nine consecutive months and grew by 7.7 per cent in 2010, while the number of people driving over the border declined by 4.2 per cent for the year.
"The world loves to come to
Toronto. It's a great place - a truly international, cosmopolitan city with world-class cultural attractions, festivals and sporting events," said
Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism and Culture. "With all
Toronto has to offer the visitor, we know it will continue to grow and shine as a global tourism destination in 2011 and for years to come." An important indicator of a thriving tourism industry is the continuing development by well-respected hotel brands. Adding to the recent openings of the Thompson
Toronto and
Le Germain Maple Leaf Square are the imminent openings of luxury hotels Trump
Toronto, Ritz-Carlton
Toronto, Shangri-La and the new Four Seasons.
Major wins in 2010
In early 2010, Toronto's convention industry got a shot in the arm as meeting planners from across
North America rated
Toronto tops in several categories.
Toronto was ranked number one among 46 cities in
North America for "Superior Convention and Visitors Bureau / Destination Marketing Organization" and for "Superior Convention Centre Services" for Tourism
Toronto and the Metro
Toronto Convention Centre respectively.** "There is a new buzz about
Toronto that is now translating into a renewed and growing awareness and interest in this community as a visitor and meetings destination that can deliver on our guests' expectations" said
Mr. Whitaker. "Being ranked among the top destinations in
North America should not only be a real source of pride - it is a testament to the significant accomplishments so many have made in building this city over the past decade."
2010 was another positive year for booking future meetings and conventions as Tourism
Toronto and partners booked 564,000 future hotel room nights. The list below sets out the top meetings, by hotel room nights, booked by Tourism
Toronto last year.
| | | | | | Year | | | | | | | Group | Attendance |
| | | | | | 2012 | | | | | | | Shoppers Drug Mart | 2,200 |
| | | | | | 2012 | | | | | | | Assembly of First Nations | 3,000 |
| | | | | | 2012 | | | | | | | Toronto Sports Council/Ontario Summer Games | 8,000 |
| | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages | 6,500 |
| | | | | | 2015 | | | | | | | Canadian Wind Energy Association | 3,000 |
| | | | | | 2016 | | | | | | | Government Finance Officers Association | 7,500 |
| | | | | | 2017 | | | | | | | ASAE & The Centre for Association Leadership | 6,500 |
| | | | | | 2017 | | | | | | | Canadian Union of Public Employees | 2,500 |
| | | | | | 2023 | | | | | | | American Water Works Association | 11,000 |
| | | | | | 2029 | | | | | | | American Water Works Association | 11,000 |
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