China  is currently the top overseas tourism market of Toronto, Canada with over 230,000 Chinese visitors recorded  in 2014, a 27 percent increase from the same period last year..

Toronto has surpassed its overseas tourism  target goal, setting new records last year as it welcomed 14.3 million overnight visitors. It has recorded the highest ever number of tourists to the city in 2014.

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The Tourism Toronto released the numbers Wednesday, as it revealed that the  mainland Chinese made up the bulk of tourists in the city.

Executive vice president of Toronto Tourism , Andrew Weir, said the growth in overseas tourism was the result of Canada's recent destination as an 'approved destination status' for Chinese visitors and the large Chinese population in Toronto.

Weir said Canada got the thumbs up from China as a major tourist destination in December 2009. Prior to the approval, annual Chinese tourism has been hovering around  100,000 but soon rose tenfold over the years following the approval.

"Chinese nationalists can travel to Toronto for leisure, which they couldn't before," Weir explained. "It was done through organized delegations in the past."

Weir said the Chinese approval of Toronto as a major tourist destination has prompted airlines to add their flights in Beijing and Shanghai.

Reports said the Chinese are reportedly the second largest minority group in Toronto forming  10 percent of the total  population.

Reports said China has surpassed the UK  in the number of tourists it welcomed  last year, at 217,000 visitors.

Reports said the rest of the top visitors to the city last year included India, Japan, and Germany which registered double-digit visitor increases last year.

Toronto has also registered the number of Amercans who stayed overnight at the city at 2.3 million, up at 3.7 percent in 2014 compared to the year before.

Reports said Toronto is one of the top  tourist destinations not only for China but other countries as well.

TagsToronto, tourism