Toronto welcomed millions of visitors last year but still not as many as it was before the pandemic, according to a report.
Destination Toronto released a report that indicated the city saw 8.95 million visitors, with a record spending of $7 billion, in 2023 but that is only around 93 per cent of pre-pandemic levels.
In 2019, Toronto saw 9.56 million visitors bringing the city $6.7 billion in visitor spending.
For comparison, during the pandemic, there were 2.5 million visitors in 2020, almost 3 million in 2021 and 6.5 million visitors in 2022.
The report found that Toronto’s visitor economy continues to recover but at a slower pace. It noted that domestic travellers, who have driven a disproportionate share of the growth, account for 71 per cent of all visitors compared to 64 per cent in 2019.
International visitors, which includes the U.S and is considered a vital market, have shown “a slower recovery and both remain 25 per cent below 2019 levels.”
Destination Toronto said major meetings and multi-day events with more than 1,000 attendees continue to be a core driver of the city’s visitor economy. However, the report said major meetings brought 290,000 visitors in 2023 compared to 440,000 in 2019.
Destination Toronto is an organization that focuses on promoting and selling the Greater Toronto Area as a place for tourists.
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