The City of Toronto saw a record number of overnight visitors last year, thanks to a boost in U.S. and overseas tourism in 2014.
According to Tourism Toronto, 14.3 million people stayed overnight in the city in 2014, breaking last year's record by 600,000.
Key reasons for the growth were an increase in visitors from the U.S. and the highest number of overseas visitors ever. Toronto also led the country in hotel occupancy and room nights sold, according to a statement released Thursday.
Approximately 2.3 million Americans stayed overnight in Toronto in 2014, up 3.7 per cent from the year before.
The majority of overseas visitors came from China, with 230,485 people staying overnight. Other top markets included the United Kingdom, India, Japan and Germany.
"The world is continuing to take notice of Toronto's emergence as an exciting leisure travel and meetings hot spot," Tourism Toronto President and CEO David Whitaker said in the statement.
Total visitor spending was $6.9 billion in Toronto, a figure that includes accommodations, attractions, restaurants, meeting venues, transportation, retail and entertainment. In 2013, visitors spend approximately $6.54 billion.
The report from Tourism Toronto also said that Toronto was the most-visited destination by fellow Canadians, with 10.5 million people making overnight visits. Canadians' visits generated spending of $2.44 billion.
