Toronto convention industry surging again, tourism board says
Source: Toronto Star
Stronger world economy and a vibrant downtown contributed to spike in hotel bookings for meetings and conventions in 2014, says Tourism Toronto.
The end of the Great Recession and generous words from Vogue magazine are among the reasons that Toronto’s convention industry is booming again, after a swoon brought on by tough economic times, the city’s tourism agency says.
Almost half a million people booked a meeting or convention visit to Toronto in 2014, good for over 600,000 hotel room nights — the first time the city has cracked that threshold.
A resurgent world economy, top-flight hotels, and an increasingly vibrant downtown have all contributed to the convention sector’s growth, said Tourism Toronto spokesman Andrew Weir.
“As Toronto’s reputation and cachet grows — when you have Vogue magazine talking about Queen W. as one of the hippest neighbourhoods in the world — it increases the desirability of that destination,” Weir said.