Toronto Tourism

Toronto the Dull? For many years Toronto was seen as a fairly dull place – more like a place to pass through on your way to Niagara Falls or Montreal than as a tourist destination The former Conservative government slashed the budget of the Canadian Tourism Commission

Vintage Toronto Tourism Ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mA fOixESkU from 1991 https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PL XSsg3O4ndlpGP5T_ETBpOlFgUOa3xmnE&v =-eSgp-rW_B4 from 1985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnH 5tvJIlus from 1984

Big Changes in last few years Our tourist numbers have been steadily climbing The city has invested a lot of money in new museums and attractions (the Aga Khan and Ripley’s Aquarium and the CN Tower’s thrilling new Edgewalk) and parks (all of the new developments like the upcoming Railside Park and the under the Gardiner park) and landmarks like the now-famous Toronto sign

New Ad Campaign Earlier this year, Tourism Toronto released a new ad with the slogan “The Views are Different Up Here” It makes Toronto seem urban, interesting, diverse and accepting (a very conscious effort to appeal to those disillusioned with the current state of affairs in the USA) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS_tYWIoZzk

Record High The number of tourists coming to Toronto hit a record high in 2016, and the numbers for 2017 are on track as well In the first four months of 2016, the number of visitors from the United States shot up by 14% compared to last year, while visits from the rest of the world are up by 8.8% The decline of our dollar is a factor in the growing number of tourists, whose money can go further here now

Bad for America, great for us American tourism took a nose-dive with the announcement of the temporary immigration ban in the U.S. in January. Cheapflights.com, for example, saw international searches for flights to the U.S. drop 38% following the executive order banning immigration temporarily from seven predominantly Muslim countries Canada looks more attractive to international tourists

What does Toronto have to offer?

Main Attractions CN Tower Toronto Islands Yonge-Dundas Square Nathan Phillips Square Casa Loma Distillery District St Lawrence Market

Museums, Galleries Royal Ontario Museum Ontario Science Centre Art Gallery of Ontario Hockey Hall of Fame Aga Khan museum Bata Shoe Museum

Entertainment Toronto Zoo Ripley’s Aquarium Canada’s Wonderland CN Tower Edgewalk Fort York

Sports Blue Jays Maple Leafs Raptors Argonauts Toronto FC

Festivals Toronto International Film Festival Caribana Taste of the Danforth Pride Month The CNE Nuit Blanche

What have other cities done to try and lure in more tourists?

The London Eye

Chicago’s Millennium Park

Singapore’s “Gardens by the Bay”

NYC’s “The Highline”