Toronto Aligns on the Future of Tourism with New Destination Master Plan
Ten-year vision to grow Toronto's visitor economy and strengthen global competitiveness
TORONTO, April 21, 2026 /CNW/ - As millions of visitors and billions of dollars arrive in Toronto each year, leaders across Toronto's visitor economy have united behind an ambitious plan to elevate the city's tourism competitiveness. Marking National Tourism Week, Destination Toronto launched the Toronto Destination Master Plan: a bold, city-building roadmap that sets a shared course for the future of Toronto's visitor economy, developed jointly with a broad coalition of industry and community leaders.
Tourism has proven to be one of Canada's most resilient export sectors, particularly in Toronto with its broad global connectivity. Following a record-breaking year in 2025, with 28 million visitors generating over $9 billion in spending at businesses all throughout the city, Toronto is attracting more visitors than ever before, even in the face of geopolitical and economic headwinds. Toronto's foundations are strong and the opportunities ahead are significant. However, cities across North America are investing decisively in infrastructure, public realm enhancements and signature attractions that elevate their international profiles and capture market share. Toronto's Destination Master Plan is an opportunity to increase the city's global competitiveness and to build on the city's momentum through a coordinated, long-term strategy.
"This plan is a roadmap to elevate Toronto's competitiveness as one of the most exciting and appealing urban destinations for leisure travel and major meetings and events, supporting thousands of businesses and tens of thousands of jobs all throughout our city," said Andrew Weir, President and CEO of Destination Toronto. "Because it was built collectively, with input from hundreds of businesses in and around the visitor economy, it reflects a city-wide view not only of the opportunity but of the path to seize that opportunity."
Developed through extensive research within Toronto and among comparative cities, stakeholder engagement, and community consultation from more than 400 organizations and overseen by a Steering Committee of senior leaders from across sectors, the Destination Master Plan addresses the opportunities and challenges facing Toronto's visitor economy over the next decade.
Five interconnected tracks--including 29 strategies and more than 100 concrete actions--form a comprehensive framework for implementation to enhance the visitor experience, add new demand drivers and elevate Toronto's global appeal to attract visitors and visitor spending to the city:
- Ensure the city is welcoming, safe, and inspiring
- Seamlessly connect people to and within Toronto and the broader region
- Increase Toronto's competitiveness for major events
- Develop new attractors and demand drivers
- Unite partners and resources to advance destination stewardship
"We are starting from a position of strength and a destination that millions of people choose to visit and meet in every year," said Mr. Weir. "This plan calls on our community to double down on our most compelling attractors and districts so they are even stronger experiences, while also building a pipeline of new and next. It addresses key gaps in the visitor experience from transportation to safety to street-level vibrancy, and also identifies transformational opportunities like a new convention centre, a pedestrian street, and signature events that drive year-round appeal."
The plan was built the way it intends to operate: together. Implementation of the plan will be shared across industry, government, and community partners. Track 5 calls for a multi-year plan outlining responsibilities and timelines, supported by an Implementation Steering Group to guide progress and decision-making. Destination Toronto will serve as the lead coordinator.
Tourism of all kinds, from leisure, business travel, and the meetings and conventions that bring global decision-makers to Toronto, drives enormous value for the city through visitor spending, business connectivity, and the added vibrancy that benefits residents and businesses alike. This plan ensures Toronto is positioned to capture more of that value, for decades to come.
Additional Quotes
"The Destination Master Plan for Toronto recognizes that a world-class city is built at the street level. By prioritizing pedestrian-friendly spaces, safe and easy-to-navigate streets and year-round cultural programming, this roadmap ensures our downtown core remains a vibrant, welcoming stage for global visitors, major meetings and the local community."
- Members of the Downtown Toronto BIA Alliance (Dana Duncanson, Amy Harrell, Tim Kocur, Pauline Larsen, Janet McCausland and Al Smith)
"Toronto's visitor economy is one of our most significant competitive assets: $9 billion in annual spending, tens of thousands of jobs, and a direct pipeline for business investment and talent attraction. But we've been competing globally without a coordinated game plan. This Destination Master Plan changes that, giving Toronto a unified strategy to strengthen the infrastructure, connectivity, and experiences that drive our visitor economy while making this a better city to live, work, and do business."
- Giles Gherson, President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade
"Toronto's waterfront is one of our greatest city-building opportunities--and the Destination Master Plan helps ensure we're shaping it as a world-class place to live and visit, invest and spend time in. By anchoring future growth along the lake, we can deliver new public spaces, year-round experiences and better connections that strengthen Toronto's global draw today and for decades to come."
- George Zegarac, President and CEO of Waterfront Toronto.
Acknowledgements
The development of the plan was funded by Destination Toronto and the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Destination Toronto served as the lead partner and project coordinator.
Destination Toronto engaged Resonance Consultancy, a Canadian-based, global leader in tourism and economic development to conduct the supporting research and plan development. Resonance has completed similar plans for several North American cities including L.A., Houston, San Diego, Pittsburgh and Ottawa.
About Destination Toronto
Toronto's visitor economy is a vital economic engine for the city, with a record 28.2 million visitors generating over $9 billion in visitor spending in 2025. Destination Toronto's purpose is to ignite the city's visitor economy to enrich and empower its communities. Operating in partnership with the City of Toronto and the tourism and hospitality community, Destination Toronto promotes the city to attract visitors and major meetings and events and supports local businesses in maximizing the opportunities of the visitor economy. For more information, please visit DestinationToronto.com.
SOURCE Destination Toronto
Media contact: Kathy Motton, Sr Manager of Corporate Communications, Destination Toronto, [email protected], 416-721-9203
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