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World class, eh?

"Come to Toronto, home of the banal." Hmmmm ...
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Hey, sorta like why Jane Jacobs moved here. And also sorta like George Baird's first-rate-second-rate positive assessment of the Big Smoke.

For better or worse, mere mundane existence is existential poetry here. It may disappoint those who come to see "sights"; but it stimulates those who come to see "themselves". Even whatever "sights" exist are accessories to the existentially mundane whole.

Perhaps when I do my food shopping at Ed when visiting Paris, that's my "Toronto" side coming out--a true Torontonian makes a splendid anti-tourist elsewhere...
 
"...Joe & Mary Six Pack from Peoria"

Not only from Peoria, but once Canada gets "Approved Destination Status" from China, then toronto needs to attract Philip and Amy Dim Sum as well.

I think we all agree that Toronto has no problem attracting conventioneers, business travellers, hipsters in the know, and overseas relatives. But attracting the "regular" or "average" visitor from any country is the challenge.

Ok, toronto is working on delivering some "ooh-ahh" attractions (coming soon). But for now, I have to agree that thrusting diversity as the pitch phrase won't inspire the everyday tourist. So my suggestion is to do the simple. Clean up the streets, do some touch up painting, add a few more flowers, and spend millions and millions on advertising focusing on the tangible components of "diversity" such as the parties, events, concerts, and big name performers. So next time a tourist visits, they will not come because of a high-brow advertising concept, they come because of the high quality events such as Jazz Festivals, Grand Prix of Toronto, Film Festivals, the upcoming Virgin festival, Theatre, Niagara Falls, Dragon Boat Racing, Caribana, and so on.

Advertising/Marketing is an important part of tourism. Without proper promotion, no average tourist will know about special art exhibits, or great shopping, or fishing adventures, etc. that exist around T.O. A good example was the ad blast in the UK media, which resulted in a significant uptick in British tourists.
 
"Well, taking San Francisco as an example: spectacular topography and geography, glorious climate, cable cars, great shopping, fantastic museums, unique tourist attractions (Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Ferry Terminal, the Mission, the Presidio, miles of fantastic beach, great surfing, sailing kayaking, excellent restaurants that are reason to visit in and off themselves...."


...blah, blah, blah. This self-loathing is so tired. It's novel because you don't live there, you're a tourist!! I have relatives in San Fran who believe it or not can be just as blind to the attributes of their city as you are to those of yours.

Topography/geography - T.O. has a spectacular, though criminaly underappreciated and underdeveloped, waterfront location with islands, rivers and bluffs to boot!

Climate - Do you like mist and rain? See T.O. in the automn on a cool crisp day!

cable cars - street cars

shopping/dining/museums - Toronto has none of this? Where do you hang out???

Unique Tourist Destinations - The Distillery? Casa Loma? The CN Tower? The Beaches? Fort York? The Ex? The Islands? Bata? The Gardiner? Kensington Market? .....


"I've been there 4 times for a least a week each time and still haven't seen and done everything I'd like to. Meanwhile I have friends coming here for the Opera and CanStage in February and I'm racking my brians for things to do to entertain them the rest of the time."

Walk! Believe it or not we have a wealth of beautiful old neighbourhoods, lined with ancient trees and gorgeous heritage buildings that Americans *love*. I've been to San Francisco too - going in the fall as well - and their pastel coloured clapboard buildings don't rate one bit compared to our gorgeous redbrick Victorian gems! Is that boastful of me? How unusual, eh? How un-Torontonian :)
 
The first thing that the city has to do is abandon this multiculti diversity muzak that seems to spout from every public person's mouth (elected or non-elected). Perhaps 30 years ago it may have worked, however; the world has shrunk considerably since and the bar has been set higher. Hell, I was in Warsaw back in the spring and saw Africans having lunch in a Korean restuarant. If that's not diversity then I don't know what is, but the problem is that everyone else is doing it too, yet they don't seem to create a religion out of it.
 
Unique Tourist Destinations - The Distillery? Casa Loma? The CN Tower? The Beaches? Fort York? The Ex? The Islands? Bata? The Gardiner? Kensington Market? .....
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I'd put a question mark beside most of those too.

My two cents: great place to live, nice place to visit but nothing that stands out.
 
Well, taking San Francisco as an example: spectacular topography and geography, glorious climate, cable cars, great shopping, fantastic museums, unique tourist attractions (Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Ferry Terminal, the Mission, the Presidio, miles of fantastic beach, great surfing, sailing kayaking, excellent restaurants that are reason to visit in and off themselves....
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Wouldn't you say Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Coit Tower area all one-visit type attractions?

I've been there 4 times for a least a week each time and still haven't seen and done everything I'd like to. Meanwhile I have friends coming here for the Opera and CanStage in February and I'm racking my brians for things to do to entertain them the rest of the time.
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Why don't you take them to do things you like to do?

The city has a lot of art galleries, restaurants, etc.

As for outdoor recreational stuff February is the absolute worst time for people to visit IMO. Actually, I think it's the worst time to visit the city, period.
 
Yes, quite. February everywhere is awful, pretty much.

Call me old fashioned, but when guests visit one should do things that guests enjoy, not impose ones own tastes on them.
 
Call me old fashioned, but when guests visit one should do things that guests enjoy, not impose ones own tastes on them.
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Well, when I made the suggestion I assumed you'd try to pick things that would interest them as well.

Are these the type of people who would only enjoy tourist-type things?

Provided the weather is decent (by February standards anyways) you could take them for a stroll in many of the various neighbourhoods around the city...
 
"I'd put a question mark beside most of those too."
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Why? They may not be your standard tourist destination type places but most on that list are interesting.
 
Because CanStage and the COC don't perform in San Francisco.
 
I've been to San Francisco too - going in the fall as well - and their pastel coloured clapboard buildings don't rate one bit compared to our gorgeous redbrick Victorian gems! Is that boastful of me? How unusual, eh? How un-Torontonian
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The problem there is that you're stooping to the kind of "we're better than you" argument that, in all honesty, we shouldn't be stooping to. (Especially as it's better off as a both/and than an either/or argument.)
 
Unique Tourist Destinations - The Distillery? Casa Loma? The CN Tower? The Beaches? Fort York? The Ex? The Islands? Bata? The Gardiner? Kensington Market?
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These places are interesting (except Casa Loma; and Bata is kinda weak) and work well as attractions to take your guests to. My guests always have a good time in Toronto, mostly living the relaxed Toronto life (e.g. a stroll in the beaches, going to the islands, shopping in Kensington) and making trips to the CN tower, science centre, etc.

However from a "world class" perspective, none of those things are a big tourist draw. As a resident I can take visitors around to the streets and neighbourhoods that they'll like; but most tourists, I think, travel for either 'marquee' attractions or a unique culture/atmosphere. Few cities are known just for their atmosphere (in N.America: Montreal, NY, maybe San Fran, Miami?) but this is Toronto's strong suit.

Toronto: just like where you live, but a little bit bigger, nicer, and 15% more bohemian. Doesn't exactly draw the crowds.
 
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