Item - 2023.EC7.5

The Economic and Community Development Committee:  

1. Received the report (October 10, 2023) from the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, for information.

This report lays out directions to guide the work of the Tourism Services Unit in the Economic Development and Culture (EDC) Division until the end of 2028. Historically, the Tourism Services Unit has been focused on operating visitor information services, such as the Toronto Tourism Information Centre (TTIC), Info-to-Go, We've Been Expecting You, and the Festival and Events Calendar. Additional activities include providing one-on-one and online information regarding local attractions and amenities. While most of these functions remain relevant, establishing strategic directions for the next years will be necessary for the Tourism Services Unit to strategically advance the sector and City of Toronto's goals given recent local and global changes, which include:

•  The tourism industry was amongst the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it has still not fully recovered;
• There have been significant global changes in thinking regarding approaches to the visitor economy and sustainability;
• Strategic shifts made by key industry partners in Toronto have resulted in significant changes to the local tourism ecosystem, and;
• There are many opportunities to advance and accomplish City objectives in dynamic ways given recent City strategies and programs that intersect with tourism.

In response to these changes, the Visitor Economy Strategic Directions Report 2023 - 2028 was developed as a framework for the City of Toronto to better support the tourism sector. It revealed the need to broaden the scope beyond visitor information services, with an emphasis on the 'visitor economy' as a community-centred concept concerned with the whole environment that tourists and residents share to contribute to the wider economic, social, and cultural success of Toronto. To advance this goal, the Visitor Economy Strategic Directions Report 2023 - 2028 proposes changing the name of the Tourism Services Unit to Visitor Economy Office to reflect the broader mandate that will drive the actions that the unit will undertake.

Three strategic directions for the Visitor Economy Office in 2023-2028 are identified:

1. Provide a Gateway to Municipal Services and Support Destination Alignment

2. Connect to Communities through a 'Locals-first' Approach

3. Connect to the Visitor to Enhance Access and Experience

These three strategic directions are aligned with the Economic Development and Culture Division 2022-2023 Strategic Directions, which identify tourism as a high-growth sector where Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving groups have higher than average employment, and where sector growth could enhance this feature. Given the broader focus on the visitor economy, including on the importance of local communities, the strategic directions will also inform work plans for the Visitor Economy Office to better support key City strategies such as the Reconciliation Action Plan, the Toronto Action Plan to Confront Anti-Black Racism, TransformTO Net Zero Strategy, and the Toronto Music Strategy.

The Visitor Economy Strategic Directions Report 2023 - 2028 was informed by interviews and surveys involving industry leaders, research, jurisdictional review, and analysis of current programs undertaken by the tourism consultancy, Brain Trust. The consultation and research provide a path forward that not only shows the approach that should be taken given current market conditions, but also reveals programs that have become dated and could be reconsidered based on the three identified strategic directions to better support Toronto and current City of Toronto strategic goals. With greater focus on the reciprocity between destination and visitor, the Visitor Economy Office will be better positioned to meaningfully advance broader City priorities.