TORONTO ― Toronto has set a new record in tourism by welcoming 14.3-million overnight visitors in 2014, according to Tourism Toronto. Key drivers were a fourth-consecutive year of growth among visitors from the U.S. and the highest number of overseas visitors ever.

“The world is continuing to take notice of Toronto’s emergence as an exciting leisure travel-and-meetings hot spot,” said David Whitaker, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto. “This is a sophisticated city with a growing reputation, and people want to come see for themselves what all the buzz is about. Our marketing strategy focuses on high-value visitors from major U.S. cities and key overseas markets such as the U.K., Germany, China, Japan and Brazil.”

Key findings:
-2.3-million Americans stayed overnight (up 3.7 per cent over 2013)
-China became the top overseas market, with 230,485 visitors (up 27 per cent)
-Other top markets include the U.K. (217,232 visitors, up eight per cent over 2013); India (94,742, up 22 per cent); Japan (87,468, up 28 per cent); and Germany (85,080, up 12 per cent)
-9.45-million room nights were booked; a 71.4-per-cent hotel occupancy
-Total visitor spending, including same-day trips, was $6.9 billion
-Fellow Canadians took 10.5-million overnight domestic visits
-Canadians spent $2.44 billion in Toronto
-665 future meetings and conventions were booked, which will bring 463,400 attendees, generating 640,345 hotel room nights

“In just two years we have generated 444,000 more hotel room night stays toward our five-year goal of a million,” said Terry Mundell, president and CEO of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association. “More room nights are not only good for hotels and their employees but equate to more visitor spending in our community.”

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