Toronto Visitors Getting Warm Welcome
TORONTO, Ontario, July 21, 2005.Visitors to downtown Toronto are getting a warm welcome this summer thanks to the efforts of the business community. The public's experience of the Downtown Yonge area is being enhanced by mobile ambassadors, free walking tours, and free special events at Yonge-Dundas Square.
These customer service efforts are part of an overall strategy that is making the Downtown Yonge area safer, cleaner, and more inviting. It is creating a positive experience for visitors during this period of tourism recovery in Toronto.
Arron Barberian, chair of the Downtown Yonge B.I.A., says, "Downtown Yonge is pulling out all the stops this summer. We've cleaned, we've scrubbed, we've patrolled the streets for litter, graffiti and crime and we're fixing-up our properties to improve the visitor experience. Now we're welcoming the world this summer."
Highlights of the new initiatives include:
Discovery Team
o 5 member team of mobile ambassadors, outfitted in blue and white uniforms, providing visitors' information.
o Team is informing the public about the Downtown Yonge area's business, shopping, and entertainment offerings.
o Service available daily, 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through to Labour Day.
Walking Tours
o Discovery Team is providing free one hour walking tours.
o Tours are offered daily, Monday to Friday: 11:00 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.
o Tours depart from Yonge-Dundas Square at the tourist information booth.
Free weekly events at Yonge-Dundas square are being sponsored by the area's business association, including:
o City Cinema (Musicals) - Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.
o Summer Serenades (Jazz & Easy Listening) - Wednesdays, 12:30 p.m.
o Friday Funk (Upbeat Concerts) - Fridays, 6 p.m.
"These initiatives, when combined with the commitment of the City are signs that Yonge Street is re-establishing itself as a vibrant tourist destination and Canada's main street," says Downtown City Councillor Kyle Rae, in congratulating the Downtown Yonge B.I.A. for launching the Discovery Team.
"Local initiatives to boost Toronto's image are the cornerstone of any world-wide marketing effort", said Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO, Tourism Toronto. "This is the kind of initiative that sends visitors home with the real Toronto story. This mobile ambassador program is a great complement to the Downtown Yonge area's strong offering of business, shopping, and entertainment."
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