Destination Toronto will open offices in the United Kingdom and Germany, in an effort to expand its reach \u201cwith international leisure and business travellers.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a release on Tuesday, Destination Toronto says opening two new offices in Europe will enable the city to tap into adjacent markets such as Ireland from the U.K., and Switzerland, Austria, and the Netherlands from Germany.<\/p>\n
Together, the U.K. and Germany delivered over 220,000 visitors and more than $320M in direct spending to Toronto\u2019s visitor economy in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiversifying our international markets has always been a priority\u2014but now it\u2019s more critical than ever,\u201d said Andrew Weir, President and CEO of Destination Toronto, in the release. \u201cThis is a pivotal moment for Canada on the world stage and Toronto is taking deliberate steps to seize that opportunity and attract more international travellers.\u201d<\/p>\n
The expansion news comes after a survey from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario<\/a> (TIAO) showed nearly one-third of Ontario businesses are already seeing fewer bookings from Americans\u2014a crucial market that accounted for nearly 79 per cent<\/a> of all international visits to Canada last year.<\/p>\n