Destination Toronto says new offices in Germany, U.K. yielding results
CBC
A push to bring more international visitors to Toronto is paying off, according to Destination Toronto.
The organization, which tracks and promotes tourism, opened two international offices back in June in Germany and the U.K., and it's already noticing an uptick in visits from those areas since the launch.
"We've seen growth in the U.K. market by 11 per cent in terms of the visitors coming, and seven per cent when we look at the German market," said Kelly Jackson, vice president of destination development at Destination Toronto.
Destination Toronto says Canada is having a moment on the world stage, and more people seem to be interested in visiting, so they're seizing the opportunity, and planting roots for continued growth.
"The work we're doing is long-term work," Jackson said. "We go somewhere, and we start those relationships, and we build on them by expanding our on the ground presence."
Jackson says Destination Toronto is expecting to see that growth continue in the future, especially with Toronto being one of the host cities for the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
"When Destination Toronto opened their office in June, that was around the time for clients to start planning their trips in 2026," said Vicki Reid, Jonview Canada's president of sales and operations. The company provides travel products and services to tour operators and works with Destination Toronto.
"From our point of view it helps when you have a representative in the market to push the destination," she said.
Reid says up-and-coming markets to tap into on their radar include Mexico and China.
At Chelsea Hotel Toronto, staff there say business is also benefiting from the increase in Canadians exploring their own backyards.
Christopher Ashby, director of commercial operations at the hotel, said it broke revenue records this summer that dated back to 2018.
"The demand for travel within Canada is spiking for all kinds of reasons and we've been the recipient of the benefit of that travel increase," he said, adding 80 per cent of the hotel's clients are from within Canada.
When it comes to that international boost, Ashby notes an overall increase in European travellers, and specifically a 45 per cent increase in visitors from the U.K. so far this year.
"I think people select Toronto as a destination because of the diversity it offers," he said.
The father of a three-year-old girl that was killed after being struck by a vehicle in Cambridge in mid-December says recent charges laid to the driver bring little comfort and relief.
The start of kindergarten can be a time of excitement or anxiety for parents, guardians and children — and also for Prince Edward Island's education officials as they try to staff schools appropriately.
Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation (NNC)’s proposed hydro project is facing some backlash in Pangnirtung.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre will take to the stage Friday for what could be one of the most important speeches of his political career as he tries to convince delegates at the party's Calgary convention to keep him in the job.
As his flight departed from Amsterdam's Schiphol airport en route to Kuwait via Istanbul, Canadian crypto fugitive Andean Medjedovic was unaware that his globe-trotting lifestyle would soon be halted.
One of the largest taxi companies in Toronto will be down to three wheelchair-accessible cabs by the end of March, as advocates and providers say the city is failing to support accessible taxi drivers.
As a deep freeze continues to envelop southwestern Ontario at the same time municipalities deal with a pressing shortage of road salt, there's a renewed focus on finding different ways to melt road ice.
Dave Lawson is a proud Canadian who has bumper stickers that say "Canada is not for sale." He's fed up with grocery products plastered with maple leaves and patriotic logos that turn out to be American imports.
The Town of Badger has issued an evacuation order for some residents as water levels on the Exploits River continue to rise.
The head of a national seniors' advocacy organization says protecting nursing home residents from sexual abuse is an important but challenging issue.
New data shows Winnipeg's fire-paramedic service fielded hundreds of reports involving the city's homeless population, but one advocate says she expects that number to go down in light of the city's limits on where encampments can be.
Former students of the Île-à-la-Crosse Boarding School have reached a settlement in their lawsuit against the federal government.
Missing baby presumed dead after father charged with killing mother in St. Albert, Alta., police say
A man is facing charges in the death of a young mother in the Edmonton area and the presumed death of their missing nine-month-old daughter.