Ontario tourism sees new leadership

News — 02 November 2010

The Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario (NOTO) conference saw an update on the Regional Tourism Organization structure, which has many camp operators asking questions.

Due to changes in the provincial government’s direction for regional tourism, a single, not-for-profit Regional Tourism Organization (RTO) will coordinate, align and invest in sub-regional programs and become the lead organization in identified pan-northern management functions.

The northern part of the province has been split up into three sections, with cities such as Sudbury, Timmins and North Bay making up section 13A. Sault St. Marie and Wawa see section 13B, and Thunder Bay, Dryden, Kenora, Sioux Lookout and Fort Frances and areas all see the category of 13C.

The RTO13 is currently being run by a group of volunteers from across the province, but the group are the process of setting up shop, and hope to be incorporated by December.

Paul Pepe, secretary for RTO13, says the group has already established funding in the amount of $3.825 million for across region 13, for priority projects in the fiscal year. $1.391 million has been allocated to region 13A, $880,000 has been allocated to 13B and our region, 13C, will see $1.554 million.

Pepe says this funding is over and above the regular funding the tourism population sees from regular sources such as FedNor.

Some of the targeted projects already on the agenda for 13C including the implementation and coordination of the “Canada’s Great Outdoors” brand, a big-game hunting proposal, specialized web development to promote hunting, motorcycle touring programs, marketing strategies to attract visitors from Manitoba and south of the border, and feasibility studies on direct flights from key domestic and trans-border markets.

The newly forming group has already established terms of reference, a transition plan, a transition budget, and a priority projects plan. The hope is to implement a strategic planning process for the region, and offer support and additional funding to the industry, over and above what they current receive.

The RTO Transition Group will begin to build a competitive and sustainable tourism industry in Region 13 that maximizes the Region’s potential to successfully attract visitors, grow spending, and to achieve the goals and objectives of “Discovering Ontario, a report on the future of tourism”, and the Northern Tourism Marketing Strategy.

By Ally Dunham

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