Durham Tourism
Industry
Report
|
Connecting, engaging and informing Durham Tourism's valued stakeholders
|
|
|
The Hive Centre and Bee & Bee, Orono
|
|
Greetings from Durham Tourism
February has us celebrating! Celebrating what you might ask? Honours for stakeholders and event participants; great learning opportunities and learnings to share; exciting team announcement; and either six more weeks of winter (yay snow sports!) or an early spring, depending on which groundhog ambassador you’re cheering for!
|
|
Tourism Industry Highlights
|
|
Ontario Waterfront Tourism Summit
On
January 23
, members of Durham Tourism and Central Counties Tourism had the opportunity to attend the inaugural Ontario Waterfront Tourism Summit at the Toronto Enercare Centre. The summit focused on delivering knowledge and education for stakeholders seeking to grow the economic impact of transient boaters on their waterfront.
Below are our takeaways for waterfront tourism providers in the region:
- The ability to accommodate 20- to 24-foot boats
- Boaters are looking for somewhere to go and something to do. If you provide these two things, they will show up.
- Give them a safe place to moor or tie up.
- Once they arrive, capitalize! Are there accessible and clean washrooms? Have information available on local amenities. Where can they get food and drink? Groceries? Is there parking or transit nearby?
- Parks are a big draw for boaters with children or dogs.
- Boaters will bring in a minimum of $500 per day.
Presentations from the summit are available via the link below.
- Boating thru the lens of a consumer – Jeff Sinclair, The Voice of Boating, Water on the Water
- Panel: Your Waterfront - Open for Business? – Moderator: Andy Adams, Canadian Yachting Media; Panelists: Jennifer Rushlow, Senior Tourism Officer, Trent Port Marina; Carly Poole, Operations Manager, Buckeye Marine; Mayor Steve Clarke, City of Orillia; Keenan Watters, Supervisor, Port Whitby Marina
- Cruising the Great Lakes – Mark Fisher, President & CEO, Council of the Great Lakes Regions
- Keynote Speaker – Chris Neil; Retired NHL (Ottawa Senators) Player
- Parks Canada – Who/What and More, Chad Buchner, Ontario Waterways, Parks Canada
Boating Ontario Statistics
- Approximately 43 percent of Canadians went boating in 2016
- Approximately 47 percent of boats sold nationally are sold in Ontario
- Approximately 59 of boat owners have an annual household income of less than $100K
|
|
Two DRIFF films nominated for industry awards
Congratulations to two films that screened at the 2019 Durham Region International Film Festival (DRIFF) this past October, on their recent industry honours.
NEFTA Football Club, which was on DRIFF’s Saturday Shorts programme, was nominated for an Oscar in the Best Live Action Short Film category.
The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open, an opening night gala feature film, won the prestigious 2019 Rogers Best Canadian Film award at the Toronto Film Critic Awards in January. Next up for this film is a potential nomination for the Canadian Screen Awards–we’ll be watching for the nominee announcement on
February 18.
Interested in being a part of this year’s DRIFF? Film submissions for the 2020 festival will open in the spring of 2020.
Tickets go on sale in
September 2020. The festival runs from
October 1 to 3.
|
|
Crave Doughnuts
Things are certainly sweeter in Whitby these days, thanks to
Crave Doughnuts, which opened its first bricks-and-mortar location in
November 2019. The bakery specializes in handmade, small-batch gourmet donuts made from fresh, local ingredients. The response from customers has been overwhelming for Crave (in a good way), who often sell out of product!
Featuring innovative and creative flavours, think Crème Brulé and Pineapple Habanero-, as well as classics like Vanilla Sprinkle and Sour Cream Glazed- there are over a dozen flavours to choose from. Seasonal and vegan flavours are also available.
Owners Nicole Morais and Jeremy Black put love into every bite they bake, and their passion certainly shines through. You can stop by Crave Wednesday through Sunday, at 102 Lupin Drive in Whitby.
|
|
 |
Countdown to
Gathering for Growth!
|
Central Counties Tourism’s (CCT) key networking and tourism B2B event is approaching! CCT invites all RTO6 region stakeholders to attend their 2020 Tourism Symposium on
March 30 at the Paramount Eventspace in Woodbridge.
Connect with ideas, opportunities and region business owners.Take in an inspiring and engaging lineup of speakers and key topics to help grow your business and participate in key breakout sessions.
|
|
|
|
Durham Tourism Strategy Update
|
Durham Tourism is dedicated to providing relevant and timely support to municipalities, organizations and businesses across the region. To this end, we are undertaking the development of a Durham Tourism Strategy in partnership with Central Counties Tourism, that starts with you- the incredible businesses that provide the reasons people visit Durham Region.
Your input will drive the direction of the plan, so don’t miss out on your opportunity to guide it. Please watch your inbox for a link to your sector specific stakeholder survey. Your participation in this strategy is greatly appreciated.
|
|
|
|
Tell us your issues...your tourism issues that is!
On
February 20, Brandon Pickard, Manager of Tourism is attending the
TIAO Tourism Issues Forum. This event brings leaders from industry and government together to hear from subject matter experts on critical issues for tourism. This year's topics range from the Municipal Accommodation Tax, to the power of value add through tourism in agri-business models, to working with municipal governments.
While in-person event tickets are already sold out, live stream tickets are available for those interested in following the forum. Your live stream ticket includes access to opening remarks, presentations, and closing remarks.
Are you encountering tourism-related issues in your area? How is policy affecting your business? Please reach out to
Brandon by
February 19 with any tourism-related legislative concerns that you would like to see addressed at the forum. Are there areas you are interested in hearing about in our future issues? Reach out to
Durham Tourism – we love to hear from you!
Tourism Day at Queen's Park
Registration for the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario’s (TIAO) key advocacy event is now open. TIAO members interesting in attending should register for Tourism Day at Queen’s Park by
February 28.
This event is a great opportunity to highlight tourism as a powerful and innovative industry to the provincial government, and meet with MPPs, Senior Policy Advisors, Parliamentary Assistants, and Ministers.
Please note that due to an overwhelming interest and limited spacing, registering for the meeting portion of the day is simply a request to attend. TIAO will send confirmation of your attendance on
March 6.
|
|
2020 Canada Summer Jobs program now open
Getting a good quality summer job is a great way to help young Canadians gain valuable skills and workplace experience toward starting a meaningful career.
If you haven’t already heard, the 2020 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program is now open.
Not-for-profit organizations, public-sector employers, and private employers with up to 50 employees can apply for funding to hire a young Canadian next summer. The application period is open until
February 24.
The CSJ program helps employers create quality summer job opportunities and provide valuable work experience for youth aged 15 to 30. It also helps organizations hire youth in quality jobs during the busy summer months. Not-for-profit employers can receive funding for up to 100 per cent of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage and mandatory employment-related costs. Small businesses with 50 or fewer employees and public-sector employers and can receive funding for up to 50 per cent of the provincial/territorial minimum hourly wage.
|
|
Durham Tourism team update
Durham Tourism is pleased to announce that Regional Council has approved a full-time, permanent Tourism Program Co-ordinator position, providing programming and initiatives dedicated specifically to our northern area municipalities. This will result in considerable growth of the tourism industry in Brock, Scugog, and Uxbridge townships.
Our current Tourism Co-ordinator, Kristyn Chambers, will be transitioning into the North Durham Co-ordinator role beginning in
March.
Kristyn has been a member of the Durham Tourism team for the past 13 years, following her role as General Manager for the Scugog Chamber of Commerce and Port Perry BIA. A long-time resident of Durham Region, Kristyn is proud to promote the area and assist business owners and organizations in their marketing and communications. Over the years, Kristyn has been instrumental in developing business plans, co-ordinating special events, website development, visitor publications, representing Durham Tourism on various committees and boards, and increasing stakeholder relations. She is looking forward to establishing further connections with municipal staff and stakeholders in the northern municipalities, and working together to increase tourism awareness for both residents and visitors.
Durham Tourism is thrilled to announce that Lisa MacKenzie, from the Region of Durham’s agriculture portfolio, will be transitioning into the role of Tourism Co-ordinator also beginning in
March.
Lisa has spent the last three years as the Agriculture Program Co-ordinator within the Region of Durham’s Economic Development and Tourism Division. She has worked closely with community partners and stakeholders to advance the priorities of the Region’s Agricultural Strategy related to business retention and expansion; outreach and education; and policy and labour force development. Lisa managed all aspects of a region-wide Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) project that focused on local food; spanning multiple components of the value chain, including primary producers, distributors, food manufacturers, food service providers and support organizations. She has worked closely with tourism staff on agri-tourism and culinary focused events and campaigns, including Gates Open: Find Your Flavour.
Join us in congratulating Kristyn and Lisa, and please reach out to either of them directly to introduce yourself or to request assistance.
|
|
|
|
Festivals and Events Ontario is hosting their 2020 Conference from
February 25 to 27
at the Sheraton Parkway North Hotel & Suites in Richmond Hill. This annual conference attracts more than 250 festival and event professionals from across the province of Ontario. The theme for this year’s conference is “Innovate.” Learn how to take your festival or event to the next level, and why innovation is a vital element for relevance and growth.
Catch keynote speaker Tom Bisignano, an Executive Director of live shows, spectaculars and special events, as he presents “Exceeding Guest Expectations in a High Expectations World;” browse the Marketplace trade show; watch live performance auditions at the evening Showcase; and delve into dozens of exciting topics from a variety of presenters.
|
|
Access and Privacy Office
Durham Region recently opened its
Access and Privacy Office at Regional Headquarters, 605 Rossland Road East in Whitby. While information and privacy requests have always been processed through the Region, the creation of this dedicated office highlights the importance placed on public access to information and supports the government’s goal of transparency and accountability.
The Access and Privacy office oversees the Region’s Privacy Management Program; processes access to information requests; educates employees and external stakeholders on the Region’s privacy practices; and manages responses to privacy complaints and appeals to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
Visit the
Access to Information page on durham.ca for more information on public access and making a Freedom of Information request.
Questions? Contact
foi@durham.ca or visit us at Regional Headquarters on Level 1 by the main elevators.
Photo caption:
Pictured left to right are Elaine Baxter-Trahair, CAO; Ralph Walton, Regional Clerk; Elizabeth Scott, Corporate Privacy Officer; Jackie Nielsen, Manager, Information Management; Menusha Suriyacumaran, Privacy Analyst; and John Henry, Regional Chair and CEO.
|
|
|
February/ March 2020
Keep these upcoming sport events on your radar!
Take advantage of Sport Durham’s monthly sport events radar to ensure that your business is prepared to welcome incoming athletes and visitors to Durham Region during key sport events!
|
|
|
|
|
Delpark Homes Centre and the Campus Ice Centre (Oshawa); and Iroquois Park Sports Centre (Whitby).
79 teams, 1,400 participants.
|
|
|
|
|
Orono Arena & Community Centre
375 athletes
|
|
|
|
|
Ontario Tech University (Oshawa)
|
|
|
|
|
Delpark Homes Centre (Oshawa)
|
|
|
|
|
Oshawa Golf & Curling Club
|
|
|
|
Still cheering for the
Durham Region 2019 Parasport Games
Sport Durham was thrilled to receive two awards at the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony on
February 6. The Durham Region 2019 Ontario Parasport Games was honoured with a 2019 EDCO Award of Excellence for Tourism Attraction & Tourism Product Development in the Urban-Over 100,000 Population category.
Then came an even greater surprise and a tremendous honour as the Games were recognized with the prestigious and coveted Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Economic Development Excellence (the highest honour of the evening!). This award is extremely special to us, as Lieutenant Governor Elizabeth Dowdeswell was a part of the Games, attending and addressing participants during our opening ceremony.
We wanted to host the best Ontario Parasport Games yet and these awards are further confirmation that together we did just that. Thank you to our amazing Games Organizing Committee, partners, sponsors, volunteers and community supporters. It is wonderful to know that the Games have had such a far-reaching impact and will continue to live on as we work on legacy initiatives in the months ahead.
The Games have also been selected as a finalist for the
Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance (CSTA) Canadian Sport Event of the Year Award (Group B: budget less than $1 million) and CSTA Sport Event Legacy of the Year Award. Finalists in the Legacy category were chosen based on their response to one question regarding the long-lasting social impact, legacy or environmental stewardship of the event. This is amazing national level recognition for sport tourism in Durham Region. Winners will be announced at the CSTA PRESTIGE Awards Luncheon in Edmonton on
March 25.
|
|
|
|
Connect and engage with Durham Tourism and Sport Durham on our social media pages:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
