Toronto experienced a banner year for tourism in 2017, smashing previous records after 43.7 million visitors descended on the city last year, led by Americans, Chinese and British tourists.
According to the latest statistics released by Tourism Toronto, 43 million tourists pumped $8.8 billion into the local economy in 2017 -- another record-breaking number that marks a $700 million spike in booked hotels, attractions and restaurants compared to 2016.
Likewise, international visits surpassed the 5 million mark for the first time.
For the seventh year in a row, visits from the US grew with nearly 3 million American overnight visitors spending $1.8 billion.
After the US, the biggest international source markets were China (319,000 visitors) and the UK (236,000).
Thanks to new visa-free access implemented in 2016, visits from Mexico also saw a whopping 72 percent increase in one year.
"More and more, world travellers are seeing Toronto as an exciting urban destination, and we're seeing that with both a record number of visitors and visitor spending," said Johanne Bélanger, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto in a press release.
Toronto is also the most popular domestic destination for Canadian travelers, having received 104 million overnight domestic visitors last year.
In 2017, Toronto hosted several major international events, including the Invictus Games, hosted by Prince Harry, and the North American Indigenous Games.
Other major North American metropolises including Los Angeles and Chicago have likewise reported record tourism numbers for 2017, signaling a rise in tourism and a buoyant economy.
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