As key factors continue to evolve in the march toward the return of travel, Destination Toronto’s Market Readiness Index reflects the current status in key visitor source markets for Toronto. The Index is newly updated with data through June 2. For an overview of how the Index is structured, read our earlier blog post here.

The most notable update is in the lifting of the stay-at-home order for Ontario residents and the announcement of Ontario’s three-step reopening plan. That plan will see restaurant patios and retail open around the middle of June in very limited ways, while most other hospitality businesses remain closed until further into the summer.

In the Readiness Index, these changes are reflected in Access Readiness for in-province markets – the Hyperlocal market, Regional Drive market and the broader Intraprovincial market. In all three, we have moved Access Readiness into the green level because there are no longer any formal access barriers to movement within the province. Many of the experiences one would travel for are not yet available, but there is no formal order or rule preventing in-province movement.

Overall the Readiness Index continues to show the closer markets – those within Ontario – in the yellow or planning stage. Although they are not available yet, there is a timeline for reopening that enables planning for a return to active marketing to encourage people to experience the city and the available businesses.

By contrast, the longer-haul markets in Canada, the U.S. and beyond remain in a red status. Interprovincial travel remains discouraged and borders closed to all but essential travel. That said, the Index does show a heightened level of Customer Readiness in the U.S. as we see a strong return to domestic travel south of the border. That sentiment and comfort with returning to travel and related experiences suggests that when Access Readiness improves, there is opportunity for a strong rebound, likely initially with leisure travel as the critical business travel and meetings segments will lag in recovery.

In the data details, look for the up/down arrows to indicate data points that have moved to different colour levels, either up (improved) or down (worsened). The Index will remain updated on a monthly basis, or more frequently when key data is available.