Tourism in Toronto is bigger than ever before. Last year saw such a growth that the city is now comparable with many US cities. The statistics show that tourism is now officially a $4 billion industry, accounting for over 100.000 jobs within the city. Tourism Toronto, the official destination-marketing organization for the city, is made up of over 1,100 members and is aiming to expand. They want to enhance the prestige and positive image of their city and make Toronto a destination at the forefront of every traveler"s mind.
Situated on the northern shore of Lake Ontario, Toronto has plenty to offer in terms of scenery. Nevertheless, it tends to be the safe, multi-cultural and friendly atmosphere within the giant metropolis which attracts most tourists. In comparison to most cities of similar size, Toronto is extremely safe and has impressively low crime rates. There are also a number of separate attractions to take into consideration. There is the CN tower, standing at 550 metres and offering visitors, at a fair price, the opportunity of viewing the city from high up on the glass bridge construction, and the Toronto Islands, where you can view ocean, mountains and metropolis at the same time, are just a short ferry-trip away.
Normally, you would expect the majority of tourists to come from the US, yet surveys showed that a quarter of the spending was done by Chinese, Koreans and Brazilians. Tourism Toronto sees this as a giant step towards making the city even more popular across the globe.