Destination Toronto plans to open offices in U.K., Germany in effort to boost tourism

A traveler at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2023. Total tourism spending in 2023 is projected to be $1.16 trillion dollars globally, and may surpass even 2019 levels as travellers from China return to the road.

Destination Toronto will open offices in the United Kingdom and Germany, in an effort to expand its reach “with international leisure and business travellers.”

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.

Together, the U.K. and Germany delivered over 220,000 visitors and more than $320M in direct spending to Toronto’s visitor economy in 2024.

“Diversifying our international markets has always been a priority—but now it’s more critical than ever,” said Andrew Weir, President and CEO of Destination Toronto, in the release. “This 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.”

The expansion news comes after a survey from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) showed nearly one-third of Ontario businesses are already seeing fewer bookings from Americans—a crucial market that accounted for nearly 79 per cent of all international visits to Canada last year.

“Certainly, in the first quarter this year, we saw small decline in visitation,” Weir had said in response to the shifting travel trends. “There was a lot of noise, a lot of uncertainty about trade, around borders, and it just caused a lot of people to pause.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow is confident Destination Toronto’s new offices in the U.K. and Germany will encourage more international visits to the city.

“What draws people to Toronto—and keeps them coming back—is the energy of our neighbourhoods, the diversity of our people, and the richness of experiences we proudly share with the world,” Chow said in Tuesday’s release. “International visitors contribute to the vibrancy and global character that define Toronto, and this is our moment to attract and welcome them in even greater numbers, bringing the benefits of visitor spending to local businesses and residents alike.”

Destination Toronto also announced that it will host the annual Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) tourism event in 2026.

Last held in Toronto in 2022, RVC brings international buyers and media to host cities to meet with destination and tourism suppliers from across Canada.

With files from CTV News Toronto’s Jermaine Wilson