For a long time, tourism has been seen as a side pillar in the overall composition of the provincial economy. We have set one main goal: Ontario will become one of the world's favorite places to visit.
Destination Marketing Fees
Encouraging Markets
Better Product
Strategic Marketing
Critical Tools
Renowned Workforce
Pride of Place
Ontario's Ministry of Tourism estimates that every $1 million spent by visitors to Ontario creates approximately 14 jobs and generates $553,400 in wages and salaries in the province. Selling Ontario as a location for high-profile events should be an essential ingredient in the province's marketing strategy.
Discovering Ontario
Ontario Bicentennial Celebration Begins √ Revitalized Ontario Place becomes the flagship of a new era in Ontario tourism. Preliminary Reception Increase Targets Achieved √ New Ontario Tourism Product Under Development √ Toronto has a rail link to Toronto Pearson.
A 2020 Vision for Tourism in Ontario
II Set Standards for Success
III Invest Wisely
IV Reach Out
First, by setting a common goal to achieve success, government and industry will be better able to work together. The study also found that governments need to work together to ensure it's easy to get here.
Context
Set Targets
By 2020, Ontario will aim to increase the sector's economic contribution by doubling tourism revenue.
Next Steps
Result
Establish Regions
There will be a single point of contact for tourism management for both the industry and the. To support its expanded tourism marketing and management efforts, the province should standardize destination marketing fees (a fee on the room portion of a guest's bill) across the province. Destination marketing fees are a great boon to the local areas where the fee is collected.
Regularize Destination Marketing Fees
In addition to destination marketing, some regions use proceeds from destination marketing fees to finance capital projects, develop tourism markets, and expand tourism programs. British Columbia, Alberta Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador also have provincial legislative hotel room marketing fees. The tourism industry should establish one effective umbrella association with sufficient resources to represent the needs of the entire industry.
Encourage a Single Tourism Industry Association
Promote the success of the association chosen by the industry with government recognition. The industry will be better able to build consensus on its key priorities and needs and move forward. US citizens driving here have long been a mainstay of the industry and continue to be an important market.
Open Our Doors
The federal government has made significant investments in port infrastructure in other parts of Canada. Ontario should encourage the federal government to give Ontario its fair share of funding for the Great Lakes cruise infrastructure. Convince the federal government to reduce rents at international airports across the country. especially at Pearson International Airport.
Encourage Leadership
Leadership means two things to the tourism industry: recognition of its contribution to the economy and an all-off-government approach to tourism. Ensure that the Ministry of Tourism has the human and financial resources it needs to fulfill its leadership. To promote economic development, the Ministry of Tourism should work with industry to identify, reduce or remove important barriers.
Modernize Regulations
For the most part, the barriers identified stem from regulations other than those applicable to the Ministry of Tourism. This necessitates creating stronger interactions and relationships with [other] ministries through both informal and formal mechanisms." Ontario Reducing Barriers to Tourism Business Research Study. call on the Ministry of Tourism to take a leadership role in working with all other ministries ... for to oversee and monitor legislation; to streamline and eliminate redundancies, thereby increasing the tourism product of the province." Service quality is one of the things tourists remember and what they talk about when describing their experience.
Establish Service and Quality Standards
To encourage a service culture in Ontario, the industry must adopt a service quality strategy to meet tourists' expectations for high service standards. We are probably one of the only destinations that do not have a mandatory rating system. There's credibility in a rating system ... and I think that's one of the important factors missing from the equation."
Develop the Tourism Workforce
To become more competitive, Ontario's tourism product needs to be more relevant and interesting to travelers and encourage repeat visits. Investment in promoting and supporting Ontario's tourism industry contributes to the economic health of communities and is a catalyst for economic development. Extensive links like this would encourage tourists to explore more than one region, experience more of Ontario's attractions, and expand their visit.
Invest in Transportation Infrastructure
For example, a rail line to Toronto Pearson International Airport could help tourists get into Toronto efficiently and connect with other modes of transportation to explore the rest of the province. In fact, alternative modes of transportation can be interesting in their own right – the Agawa Canyon Railway in Northern Ontario, for example, attracts tourists from all over the world. This would help ensure a timely and coordinated approach to important investments – and would signal to investors the government's willingness to encourage positive new investment in Ontario's tourism product offerings.
Actively Attract Investment
Study research has revealed that successful investment attraction requires a targeted approach that highlights the real opportunities in Ontario. Key locations, according to Study research, are the best way to focus a tourism investment attraction strategy. Aggressive goals tend to eliminate marginal initiatives by channeling resources into more meaningful opportunities ... the shotgun approach to investment attraction is rarely effective,” Ontario Tourism Investment Attraction Research Study.
Help Operators Access capital
Access to capital can also help local communities, expand markets and develop more accessible and year-round attractions. Use existing federal and provincial funding vehicles to address capital access needs. The biggest stumbling block or obstacle to regaining the competitiveness of our industry... is access to capital.”
Transform Our Attractions
Ontario needs to revive Ontario Place as the flagship of a new era in Ontario tourism by opening it year-round, developing a master plan that encompasses the surrounding area and investing in local infrastructure. Ultimately, Ontario Place could become a large public provincial plaza surrounded by entertainment, dining and shopping. Now is the time to revitalize Ontario Place and make it the flagship of a new era in Ontario tourism by the 150th anniversary of confederation in 2017.
Revitalize Ontario Place
Right now Ontario Place is a good example of an attraction that is not living up to its potential. Strive to make a revitalized Ontario Place the flagship of a new era in Ontario tourism through the. Ontario Place would once again be a symbol of the province of Ontario and a major attraction.
Ontario should strategically invest in major festivals and events with the highest potential for growth in terms of total tourism spending. Invest in large commemorative festivals and events with the highest potential for growth. Make sure tourists can easily find the wide variety of festivals and events Ontario has to offer.
Redesign Marketing Role
Reshape the Ontario approach to tourism marketing so that one agency becomes the provincial marketing lead for promoting the provincial tourism brand in partnership with the new tourism regions. The provincial marketing agency, regions and cities do not communicate and coordinate, and as a result there is inconsistent branding of Ontario. Exploring the structural assessment of the tourism industry in Ontario. Ensure Tourism Ontario marketing strategies are aligned with product development. infrastructure and other government strategies and partnerships to support tourism.
Market Strategically
While the United Kingdom is likely to remain Ontario's largest source of overseas visitors through 2012, Mexico and China are expected to surpass Germany and France in terms of total visitor spending. Ontario should focus on unique regional product offerings, including natural experiences and our great water resources, as well as niche tourism experiences such as sports, cultural, culinary, eco and agritourism. Ontario's recent investments in cultural attractions such as the ROM, AgO and the Four Seasons Center for the Performing Arts are already internationally recognized and attract cultural tourists.
Focus on Our Unique Products
Participants in our public consultations were very clear about the challenges of wayfinding in Ontario. Ontario Travel Information Centers should be an important element of wayfinding systems in the province. Wayfinding reduces the frustration of traveling through unfamiliar neighborhoods” and “increases pride in our sense of place by reminding us of the places that give character to our surroundings.” Ontario Way-Finding Research Study.
Improve Way-Finding
Wayfinding is more than just signs—it's an overall design philosophy that helps a diverse population get to a destination with ease and comfort. Destination marketing and management organizations play a role in supporting modes within and between regions. Develop a long-term strategy for wayfinding and signage in collaboration with other key ministries.
Increase E-Marketing and Online Booking
Building on the experience of other major tourism destinations…Ontario's marketers can begin to use interactive technology to build one-to-one relationships with individual consumers who interact with its website. Ontario could miss out on additional bookings and branding opportunities by not having access to high-speed internet.” Ontario Tourism Infrastructure Research Study. The City of Toronto Museum would explore the city's social, cultural and economic history with a strong emphasis on the city's post-World War II development.
Product Ideas
Some of them are already underway, some are in significant development, and some are just in the realm of imagination. Outdoor adventures in all seasons, such as aerial parks (which include walking over wobbly bridges, .. single monkey line and zip-line) or dog sledding between winter destinations. Every year, the Toronto Fringe Festival exposes audiences to many new Canadian theaters and.
Proposed Regions
The Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study commissioned a number of external studies to better understand the broader issues impacting tourism and to help inform the recommendations of this report. Each study explored a specific issue - from global trends to the impact of our current festivals on the economy. These studies have helped inform the recommendations in this report and will be a valuable resource for government, industry and researchers.
Global Tourism Opportunities Research Study, Deloitte & Touche LLP, 2009
Ontario Major Festivals and Events Attraction Research Study, PKF Consulting (with Research Resolutions), 2009
The research included a literature review and analysis of best practices; a look at jurisdictions that are successful in attracting, bidding and hosting major international festivals and events; an analysis of Ontario's current festival and event industry; and identifying high-potential opportunities for Ontario.
Ontario Tourism Investment Attraction Research Study, HLT Advisory (with the Tourism Company), 2009
The Tourism Study asked MgP and HDR to make recommendations on what types of government infrastructure investments would be best for the tourism industry.
Ontario Tourism Product Assessment Research Study, Deloitte & Touche LLP, 2009
Ontario Way-Finding Research Study,
Ontario Tourism Industry Structure Assessment Research Study, Deloitte & Touche LLP, 2009
Ontario Tourism Market Assessment Research Study, TNS Canadian Facts, 2009
For Ontario to be competitive, it must strategically pursue markets with the greatest potential. The United Kingdom will continue to be an important international source of tourism income for at.
Ontario Mix of Tourism Marketing and Promotion Research Study, TNS Canadian Facts, 2009
To be competitive, Ontario must strategically pursue markets with the greatest potential. to grow over the next 10 years while nurturing its current base of source markets. The UK will continue to be an important source of international tourism revenue for at. at least for the next five to ten years. Specifically, key themes were barriers to work, wayfinding, marketing and liquor regulations.
Ontario Product Distribution Research Study,
Research Study on Reducing Barriers to Tourism Business in Ontario, Pareto Consulting Inc. with HLT Advisory), 2009 Pareto Consulting Inc. To better understand this problem area, the study asked Pareto and HLT to help define the regulatory burden of the tourism industry, by reducing the key barriers that affect the economic activity of the tourism industry. The participants also highlighted issues of consistency in the application of regulations, flexibility and land use and access.
Ontario Cultural and Heritage Tourism Product Research Study, Lord Cultural Resources, 2009
Role of Government in Tourism Research Study, Deloitte & Touche LLP, 2009
In the early summer of 2008 (June), the Ontario Tourism Competitiveness Study released a discussion paper to start a conversation about tourism at the provincial level. Mapping Ontario's Tourism Future: A Starting Point for Discussion' has been available online since June 2008 at www.tourismstudy.ca. In autumn 2008, 13 official consultations were held in 12 cities across the province.
