Toronto Tourism Rose After Summer Concerts, Festivals and Soccer Events, Data Shows
Did Toronto’s summer events bring more visitors? Destination Toronto’s figures suggest they did. International visits from the United States and overseas rose 17 per cent in May, June and July compared with the same period in 2025. The tourism agency attributes part of the growth to its efforts to draw visitors from a wider range of markets. The city hosted six FIFA World Cup matches, along with concerts by Rush, Bruno Mars and BTS. Toronto also hosted more than 45 major conferences and conventions in 2026, with some scheduled earlier in the year to make room for the tournament. In June, visits from the United Kingdom rose 46 per cent and visits from Germany increased 59 per cent compared with June 2025. U.S. visits climbed 19 per cent, while domestic visits were up 25 per cent. Hotels across the Greater Toronto Area saw revenue per available room rise 6.2 per cent through July year over year, according to the Greater Toronto Hotel Association. The June increase was 10 per cent, though demand was concentrated around World Cup match days. Toronto Metropolitan University tourism professor Frédéric Dimanche cautioned that Canada has yet to return to 2019 tourism levels and said high travel and accommodation costs remain a challenge for domestic visitors. U.S. visits rose year over year for five consecutive months through July. Destination Toronto reported that August hotel demand was also up 10 per cent, representing approximately 68,000 additional room nights.
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