Durham Tourism Industry Report |
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The Shop Durham Region (SDR) online marketplace launched in January 2021. This e-marketplace allows shoppers to purchase products from multiple Durham-based businesses offering contactless pickup, or free local delivery where available, in a single transaction.
Whether a business has an existing online shop or is brand new to ecommerce, they can easily add up to 75 products to the marketplace and get discovered by new customers looking to support local. Completely free to join, the marketplace allows business owners to tap into ecommerce expertise and marketing support from the SDR team and its partners.
Funded by the Region of Durham and led by the Downtown Whitby BIA, SDR has seen continued growth in its first six months and now offers more than 1,000 products for sale from a variety of businesses. Since its launch, more than 15,000 visitors have browsed the site to discover local goods.
This Shop Durham Region Onboarding Video was produced by the Downtown Whitby BIA to help assist your business with everything you need to know about how to participate in this program.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to the SDR team with any questions. More information about SDR can be found at ShopDurhamRegion.ca.
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Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen
In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Ontario government is moving the province into Step Three of the Roadmap to Reopen at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 16, 2021.
Step Three of the Roadmap focuses on the resumption of additional indoor services with larger numbers of people and restrictions in place. This includes, but is not limited to:
- Outdoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 100 people with limited exceptions.
- Indoor social gatherings and organized public events with up to 25 people.
- Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies, including wedding services and funeral services permitted with physical distancing.
- Indoor dining permitted with no limits on the number of patrons per table with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect.
- Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities to open subject to a maximum 50 per cent capacity of the indoor space. Capacity for indoor spectators is 50 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 1,000 people, whichever is less. Capacity for outdoor spectators is 75 per cent of the usual seating capacity or 15,000 people, whichever is less.
- Indoor meeting and event spaces permitted to operate with physical distancing and other restrictions still in effect and capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity or 1,000 people, (whichever is less).
- Essential and non-essential retail with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
- Personal care services, including services requiring the removal of a face covering, with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres.
- Museums, galleries, historic sites, aquariums, zoos, landmarks, botanical gardens, science centres, casinos/bingo halls, amusement parks, fairs and rural exhibitions, festivals, with capacity limited to not exceed 50 per cent capacity indoors and 75 per cent capacity outdoors.
- Concert venues, cinemas, and theatres permitted to operate at:
- up to 50 per cent capacity indoors or a maximum limit of 1,000 people for seated events (whichever is less)
- up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum limit of 5,000 people for unseated events (whichever is less); and up to 75 per cent capacity outdoors or a maximum of 15,000 people for events with fixed seating (whichever is less).
- Real estate open houses with capacity limited to the number of people that can maintain a physical distance of two metres; and
- Indoor food or drink establishments where dance facilities are provided, including nightclubs and restobars, permitted up to 25 per cent capacity or up to a maximum limit of 250 people (whichever is less).
Face coverings in indoor public settings and physical distancing requirements remain in place throughout Step Three. This is in alignment with the advice on personal public health measures issued by the Public Health Agency of Canada, while also accounting for Ontario specific information and requirements. Face coverings will also be required in some outdoor public settings as well.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to Durham Tourism if we can assist you in any way.
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Government of Canada
Tourism Relief Fund
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The Government of Canada has just launched the Tourism Relief Fund, to be delivered through FedDev Ontario. The Tourism Relief Fund supports tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth.
This fund has a $500 million budget (ending March 31, 2023) and will focus on product development and destination development. The fund will empower businesses to create or enhance tourism experiences and products to attract visitors and to help the sector provide the best Canadian tourism experiences.
Contributions to businesses will be either non-repayable contributions up to $100,000 for up to 50 per cent of eligible costs OR fully repayable contributions up to $500,000 for up to 75 per cent of eligible costs.
The fund will offer a minimum of $50 million to support Indigenous tourism initiatives and $15 million will be dedicated to national initiatives that support the advancement of national tourism priorities. Eligible applicants include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors, such as businesses, not-for-profit organizations, and band councils or other Indigenous organizations and co-operatives.
To be considered eligible for this fund, applicants must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Be a key supplier or operator in the visitor experience;
- Be part of a defined tourism cluster or a tourism dependent community, including supporting downtown cores; or
- Provide an anchor product or service in a tourism destination.
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14 patios to visit in Durham Region's downtowns
If you’ve spent a summer in Canada, then you know the powerful pull of a great Canadian staple: the patio. From private, tucked away nooks, to main street seats, waterfront vistas or a simple slice of shade, patios come in all shapes and sizes- to offer an amazing outdoor experience.
The eclectic mix of patios in Durham Region will not disappoint, especially in our downtowns, where after-dinner strolls, sweet treats, and window shopping can round out a perfectly Canadian summer day.
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For unique trip ideas or to plan your perfect day, visit DurhamTourism.ca, or call 1-800-413-0017. If this information is required in an accessible format, contact Durham Tourism. |
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