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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Toronto approaching pre-pandemic tourism levels, thanks to bump in visitors from U.K., Germany
Toronto is getting closer to pre-pandemic levels of tourists in the city, which Destination Toronto says is thanks in part to an increase in European travellers. "The city is doing well," said Kathy Motton, senior manager of corporate communications at Destination Toronto. "There's a lot of interest from Canadians wanting to travel in Canada and stay in their country," she said. "We are seeing that the U.S. is down, not surprisingly, but in turn the international market is up." Toronto welcomed nine million visitors in 2024, according to Destination Toronto figures, just 600,000 shy of the number of visitors it welcomed in 2019 pre-pandemic. Canadians led the way, with American visitors coming second at 1.6 million. However, Motton says visits dropped four per cent year over year in the first quarter of 2025, owing to "ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainty." While she says "it's too early for a full 2025 projection," Motton also says the summer is helping Toronto make up for lower numbers earlier in the visitors from U.K., Germany Visitors from the United Kingdom and Germany were both up in June by six per cent each, year over year, Motton says, noting it may be a result of Europeans looking for new places to travel. Toronto is an attractive destination for Europeans due to cost, says Wayne Smith, a tourism professor at Toronto Metropolitan University. "The euro versus Canadian dollar is doing very well, so Toronto actually looks like a value destination," said Smith. "They're paying close to $200 a night. And when you compare to European prices, it actually becomes a value type destination for them." Smith says what's happening in the U.S. is also probably playing a role in bringing European travellers to Toronto. "Canada has been in the news a lot so it becomes more top of mind," he said. "Because of the U.S. situation and with visas and fears about ICE – you add in some of the economic component to it, all of a sudden Canada looks like a much more attractive destination versus the U.S." Toronto is also attractive to Europeans because it's a closer destination than places like Calgary or Vancouver, Smith says. Destination Toronto opened new offices in the U.K. and Germany in June in an effort to attract more European tourists to the city. Motton says she expects numbers will grow from those countries, especially as we get close to the FIFA 2026 World Cup, which Toronto is co-hosting. "Once we hear which countries are going to be playing here, I think we're going to see a lot of interest from the various different countries that are playing here in the city," she said. Meanwhile, Henry Greisman, a manager at Toonie Tours, one of Toronto's walking tour operators, says he's seeing an increase in visitors from South America. The company, which offers Spanish tours, has had to add additional tours to meet demand, he says. "We would take on average say 15, maybe 18 passengers on a tour and they go on a three hour tour in downtown Toronto. This year we are seeing upwards of 25 and our maximum is 30 guests on a tour," Greisman said. Americans remain key to tourism recovery: experts Still, Greisman says he's noticed a decline in U.S. visitors so far this year — a decline both Smith and Motton say is important to turn around. "We're going to continue to market to the Americans," Motton said, noting U.S. visitors to Toronto are down nine per cent since 2024. Their return is crucial to a true tourism recovery, Smith says. "When you're looking at a three-to-one ratio, three U.S. tourists to every international tourist, which is sort of our traditional realm, what you're finding is that would be an awfully large market to give up entirely," he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
7 travel destinations where Australia dollar will stretch further: 'Smarter'
Keen for an international escape but don't want to break the bank? The Australian dollar no longer goes as far as it once did for popular destinations like the United States and Europe, but there are some travel destinations where you can get a better bang for your buck. Wendy Wu Tours managing director Simon Bell told Yahoo Finance travellers were getting "smarter" about where and how they spent their money, with more Aussies seeking value-packed holidays and turning to destinations where the Aussie dollar stretches further. 'We're seeing strong interest in destinations where the cost of living is lower, but the experiences are just as rich, like India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia,' he said. RELATED Major warning over $50,000 act during popular Aussie travel period Australia's 'ancient enemy' returns sparking major Centrelink warning Centrelink pension warning for 4.3 million Aussies facing super nightmare Southeast Asia continues to deliver good value for Aussie travellers, the tour company found, with countries like Vietnam and Cambodia remaining firm favourites. Japan could be a cost-effective destination for off-peak travellers, along with those who head to lesser-known regions like Kyushu and Kagoshima. China now also offers visa-free travel for up to 30 days, a favourable exchange rate and relatively low local costs. Looking beyond Asia, other areas like Turkey, Morocco and Egypt offer more affordable transport, food and shopping, with the Aussie dollar generally going further compared to the Euro or US dollar zones. Here's a closer look at the top seven travel destinations, according to Wedny Wu Tours. We've also included current exchange rates via Wise as of July 31 and a general idea of costs based on Numbeo data. Vietnam With $1 buying about 16,918 Vietnamese dong, Vietnam is among the most affordable travel destinations for Aussies. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant will set you back around 50,000 dong, or just $3, while half a litre of domestic beer would cost about 25,000 dong, or $1.50. Cambodia Cambodia is another popular option for value-conscious travellers, with $1 equalling 2,587 Cambodian riel. US dollars are also accepted, with $1 getting you about 65 cents at the moment. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs about $USD3, or $4.65, while a local beer is about $USD1, or $1.55. Japan Japan is another popular destination with $1 getting you about 96 Japanese yen. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant would set you back about 1,000 yen, or $10, while a local beer would be about 500 yen, or roughly $5. China China is now firmly back on the radar for Aussie travellers, Wendy Wu Tours said, and is offering good value with $1 equating to about 4.64 Chinese yuan. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant costs about 20 yuan, or $4.30, while a domestic beer would be just 7 yuan, or $1.50. Turkey More Australians keen for both adventure and value are also exploring Turkey, the group found, with $1 equating to about 26.20 Turkish liras. It'll cost you about 350 liras for a meal, or $13.35, and about 140 liras for a domestic beer, or roughly $5.30. Morocco Morocco is also emerging as a popular destination and with $1 equalling about 5.90 Moroccan Dirhams. A meal at an inexpensive restaurant will set you back about 40 dirhams, or $6.80, while a beer will be about 30 dirhams, or $5. Egypt Rounding out the list was Egypt with $1 working out to about 31.42 Egyptian pounds. It'll cost about 200 pounds for an inexpensive meal at a restaurant, or about $6.30, and 70 pounds for a beer, or about $ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Hidden reality behind 'horrendous' prices at Aussie airports revealed: 'Comes at a cost'
Travellers have long complained about the price of food, drink and other items at the airport. It's not uncommon to pay close to $20 for a beer or a simple bacon and egg sandwich while you're waiting for your flight. A poll of more than 2,300 people found 63 per cent of travellers refuse to buy anything airside because it's a "rip off". It's a unique shopping and dining experience unlike the outside world, as you're essentially trapped once you've gone through security and customs. You might automatically think it's because of corporate greed. But, consumer expert Gary Mortimer told Yahoo Finance it's much deeper than that. RELATED 'Hidden' cost of using cash in Australia Centrelink pension warning for 4.3 million Aussies facing super nightmare Rare 50 cent coin sells for $3,050 due to 'unique' reason Aussies rage over $28 cost at the airport for just two items Reid Polak was recently shocked at how much it cost him for a quick and simple meal at an Aussie airport. "I got a burrito and a flat white for $28, and it was terrible," he said. "A 600ml water is $7.50. Just because you can charge more, doesn't mean you should." The revelation sparked fury among other travellers, with many calling out Aussie airports for unfairly imposing higher prices. "You're trapped there. It's horrendous," one person wrote. "How is price gouging okay at the airport but not anywhere else?" added another. Other travellers have similarly been forced to do a double-take when they found out how much simple items would woman said she was charged $35 at Perth Airport for two separate purchases: $11 for a small coffee and bottle of water $24 for two rice paper rolls and a packet of chips If she had bought her meal outside the airport, she would've paid $5.45 for the first purchase, and about $16.05 for the second. Meanwhile, another traveller shared their outrage at being charged $10 for a single slice of banana bread at Melbourne Airport. Mortimer told Yahoo Finance it's easy to blame businesses for being greedy, but outlined the not-so-obvious costs businesses have to contend with to operate at an airport. Airport workers cost much more to onboard The QUT professor said staffing can be a huge cost to cafes, restaurants, and luxury designer brands inside an airport. Airports operate from early morning until late night, seven days a week. This means staff need to be rostered, including on weekends and public holidays. Comparatively, a cafe on the outside might open at 6am and close at 3pm, while a restaurant might open at 5pm and close at midnight. Airports can also be sent into disarray if there's a flight delay or cancellation. As a result, most airport businesses have to have enough staff on at all times to account for these instances. But there is another major consideration. "Imagine having a cafe inside a shopping centre. You can hire people all the time. They can park pretty easily to turn up at work. They can come and go as they please," Mortimer said. "An airport situation, there's security clearances that need to take place for staff, which comes at a cost." Airport workers have to have an Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC) to get through the security checkpoints, as well as a national police check. The ASIC card can cost upwards of $240, which is usually the responsibility of the employer. The police check can cost $56, but if you need to give your fingerprints, that price jumps to $113. "When we think about the services sector, there's a high turnover, which means you're constantly having to recruit people for your airport business," Mortimer said. "They have to be security checked before they can go on to airside, which means, if they only last three months and then leave, there's more cost for you to actually put another person back on and go through that whole process again." Sourcing supplies more difficult at an airport The professor said this stringent security requirement for workers is also applied to all the goods that come into the airport each day. They have to be thoroughly screened and the delivery driver also has to be ASIC-certified. These extra steps can cause additional costs that have to be worn by the business. But Mortimer explained that airports can often charge businesses to perform regular audits to ensure all their supplies are up to scratch. "If you're a bistro and you sell meals, there are knives and forks and cutlery that can be used as weapons," he said. "So you need to keep running a tally of those products. If you lose a knife in the kitchen, you need to be able to find it." Not only that, but airports can also demand a percentage of revenue for the privilege of being in a highly sought-after commercial area. The World Tourism Forum said this is what's called "percentage rent", which contributes to vendors jacking up their prices to account for this extra cost. Simon Westaway, Australian Airports Association CEO, told Yahoo Finance that these "complex infrastructure and operations" that affect businesses often result in higher costs. But he stressed that airports across the country have tried to "enhance the passenger experience" by offering a wider range of shopping, dining, and service options.
