Destination Toronto is launching a recovery campaign to boost tourism among locals in the city amid a fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign, titled “Never Have I Ever, TO,” is a play on the game of the same name and encourages locals and visitors to try experiences of all kinds throughout the city.
“It's a way for us to kind of think about those things that we haven't done around the city... maybe an attraction that we've walked past a few times and never gone in or a type of food that our city has that we've never actually enjoyed,” Andrew Weir, executive vice president of Destination Toronto told CP24 on Tuesday.
The campaign runs until Oct. 30 and was made in collaboration with the City of Toronto and businesses across the city.
It promotes many of the businesses that were hardest hit in the pandemic, including hotels, attractions and the city’s food scene.
Individuals who try new experiences are asked to hashtag their photos on social media with #NeverHaveIEverTO.
Mayor John Tory shared his own “Never Have I Ever” moment by tweeting a video of him participating in the CN Tower’s Edge Walk for the first time.
“Being up there at the very top of 1,100 feet is quite a different experience and of course there is no glass wall, there's no railing, you're sort of chained in or tethered in, but people should try that,” Tory told CP24.
Tory is encouraging Torontonians and visitors to explore the city and try something new that they’ve been meaning to experience.
“There are lots of experiences you haven't had before and that's for people not just in the city but in the region, and that you should make up a list of things you've never done in the city,” he said.
Weir said the campaign is needed now more than ever due to the absence of travellers from down south and abroad for nearly a year and a half.
On Aug. 9, Canada’s border partially reopened to fully vaccinated American citizens and permanent residents for recreational purposes.
However, as tourists are slowly starting to visit Toronto again, Weir said it will take some time before tourism is back to levels observed before the pandemic.
“This is going to take some time and of course we tend to have more of that visitation in the summer which is now starting to wind down so really a lot of that activity is likely to be into next spring and beyond. So until then, this is a really critical gap that Torontonians have a chance to help the hospitality businesses bridge that gap and, and in so doing that, enjoy these experiences ourselves,” Weir said.
The campaign also includes “My Toronto Pass,” a mobile passport featuring offers on attractions, tours, experiences and more.
