Toronto Tourism Industry Community Coalition Awarded $14.3 million to Market Toronto
	TORONTO, Sept. 9 /CNW/ - The Toronto Tourism Industry Community Coalition (TTIC) has been awarded $14.3 million by the Government of Ontario to market and sell Toronto as a top-of-mind destination for tourists and business travelers.
The provincial funding announced today is part of the two-year $138 million Tourism and Economic Recovery Plan to restore confidence in Toronto and Ontario as leading travel destinations. "On behalf of the Toronto Tourism Industry Community Coalition, I am thrilled that the Province of Ontario, has confirmed this investment in the recovery of Toronto's tourism industry with a $14.3 million investment in the approved plan complied by the Coalition's Task Forces. All facets of our $3.5 billion industry have been hurt and the broad-based input that the coalition plan encompasses will ensure the return on investment will be strong for all effected sectors," said Bruce MacMillan, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto. Tourism is Toronto's second largest industry supporting some 95,000 jobs in the GTA alone. The provincial funding over the next two years will allow TTIC to pursue future prosperity for the tourism sector. The Economic Recovery Plan is not just for the Toronto economy but Ontario and Canada as well. The approved recovery plan focuses on effective marketing and sales activities that will drive business in the leisure travel segment and the business travel industry where only limited recovery efforts had been made to date. The province's marketing efforts are being led by the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation, an agency of the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation, in cooperation with the Toronto Tourism Industry Community Coalition. "We will be implementing several major marketing initiatives to encourage people to think of Toronto first when they start to plan a vacation or travel on business. We'll be using a combination of advertising, direct marketing and client outreach activities aimed at our key markets - US border states, UK, Germany and Japan," added MacMillan. The Leisure Travel market will advertise directly in the US and overseas markets by entering into Joint Marketing Agreements with tour operators. These agreements will assist in driving visitors to Ontario from these destinations. Several client outreach and direct marketing campaigns are in development to appeal to travel writers, tour organizers, and operators. These outreach programs help to ensure clients experience the vibrancy of Toronto's attractions, cultural amenities, dining and entertainment. To re-energize the Business Travel market, business travel and travel trade publications concentrated in the US will be targeted. Noticeably, this sector will see direct marketing programs aimed at reaching out and selling Toronto to key business leaders. Pro-actively attending major market sales and business trade shows in the US and overseas, offers an opportunity to approach business leaders and meeting organizers, operators and travel writers to select Toronto as a destination of choice. The Toronto Tourism Industry Community's Recovery Plan was developed by: - Tourism Toronto - Province of Ontario - Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership - Alliance 03 - Canadian Tourism Commission - Air Canada - Greater Toronto Hotel Association - Metro Toronto Convention Centre - Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association - Hotel Employees, Restaurant Employees Union Local 75 - Restaurant Employees International Union - Toronto Board of Trade - City of Toronto - Economic Development, Culture & Tourism Toronto Tourism is the official destination-marketing agency for Toronto's tourism industry. As the city's sales and marketing agency, Tourism Toronto focuses on promoting and selling the City as a destination for tourists, convention delegates, and business travelers. Officially operating as a not-for-profit agency, Tourism Toronto has more than 700 members and is a partnership of public and private sectors.