Visitors injected billions of dollars into Toronto’s economy last year, a new study finds, but tourists have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels amid signs of slowing growth.
While spending in 2023 slightly surpassed pre-pandemic levels, much of that owes to inflation, said report author Tariq Khan. Carroll cited the extra resources required — emergency services, for example — to handle the crowds "as hotels fill up." "It allows groups to conduct meetings here and companies to travel here," Weir said, pointing to "diplomatic issues" that have kept Canada from becoming an approved destination.
"A lot of the meetings that are happening in ’23, ’24, ’25, ’26, they were booked in 2021. And in 2021, no American meeting planner was choosing Canada. Our border was closed," said Weir.