It is said that any publicity is good publicity, but does the old adage apply when it comes to the case of the admitted crack-smoking-in-a-drunken-stupor Mayor of Canada's largest city?
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has been under the gun for months. Stripped of just about all of his mayoral duties, his antics have been reported around the world. He's been a gold mine for the late night comics and yet his popularity has not wavered. In December, his approval rating was higher than both President Barack Obama and the United State Congress.
What impact, if any, will the on-going Ford story have on the convention and tourism industry in the city that is one of the largest cultural and business centers in North America and home to seven pro sports teams?
Tourism is big business in Toronto, with close to a quarter-million people working in the tourism and hospitality industries. According to the latest figures on the Tourism Toronto website, the city in 2011 hosted nearly 10 million overnight visitors from 200 countries. Those visitors spent a combined $4.6 billion and paid for a record-setting 9.2 million hotel room nights.
City officials say the travel/tourism pie is nearly equally divided between those visiting family and friends, and those visiting for either pleasure or business. The hit to the city could be in the millions of dollars should CEO's and trade organization leaders take a dim view of the Ford situation and decide to take their business or convention elsewhere.
Mayor Ford's negative press could offset the positive steps taken by Tourism Toronto to become a world leader in the travel and tourism industry. In October 2013 the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) awarded Tourism Toronto its Level One Certification, making the organization the first outside the United States to reach the new international standard.
David Whitaker, President and CEO of Tourism Toronto said upon receiving the nod that the certification added to the city's reputation as a convention and event destination. "In a highly competitive market, achieving a prestigious certification like this can give Toronto, and more importantly our clients and guests, a meaningful advantage."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
