All those who argue former mayor Rob Ford put Toronto on the map may have a point. The number of tourists visiting Toronto hit a new record in 2014, as the city welcomed 14.3 million overnight visitors, according to Tourism Toronto.
The city saw the number of visitors from the U.S. grow for the fourth year in a row, while overseas tourists hit a record high.
"The world is continuing to take notice of Toronto's emergence as an exciting leisure travel and meetings hot spot," said Tourism Toronto CEO David Whitaker in a press release.
About 600,000 more people visited Toronto in 2014 than in 2013, the Canadian Press reported.
While Americans make up the majority of Toronto's tourists, China and the U.K. also contributed more than 400,000 visitors in 2014. The city is also the most popular destination for Canadians travelling within the country, according to Tourism Toronto.
The group reports that tourists spent $6.9 billion in the city last year, on everything from hotels to restaurants to attractions.
This year, tourism levels are expected to increase once again with the city hosting the Pan Am Games in July, reports Yahoo News. Both Tourism Toronto and Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation have been promoting the games to potential visitors south of the border.
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