Dear Partner in Tourism,

We hope your summer is going well and that you’ve been able to get out and enjoy time with family and friends. July was a big month in London and we’re expecting August to be the same (weather permitted, of course)! We’ve compiled the latest local, provincial and national updates for your review. Please take a moment to read about:

Tourism London FAM Tour Returns: Register Today

Tourism London is thrilled to invite you to our second London Familiarization Tour in 2024, this time with a focus on sports and music! Join us for a day filled with discovery, excitement and inspiration, and come away with new ideas to share with visitors to elevate their travel experiences in Canada’s UNESCO City of Music! Explore a few iconic sports venues and beloved musical hotspots in London, Ontario with this new edition of the FAM Tour while deepening your insights on sports and music tourism and networking with industry partners.

To better support and serve your customers, the day includes engaging presentations, a guided bus tour around London with stops at some of London's biggest tourism attractions (many not visited on previous FAM Tours), refreshment breaks and lunch featuring a private performance by a local musician.

Space is limited. Please only RSVP if you can make it.

Thursday, August 22, 2024
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Tour Begins at the Tourism London Welcome Centre at 696 Wellington Road South

Spots Still Available for Tourism London Marketing Opportunities

Last year, we removed membership fees for all of Tourism London partners. Since then, we’ve heard that you’re looking for more marketing opportunities with us over and above what your membership entails, and that you’d be willing to pay to play. For the rest of 2024, we’ve compiled a few marketing initiatives that we think will bring you this extra value – and there are still spots left! We’ve got:

• Summer Photo/Video Partnership Packages left
• Website Advertising: Three New Opportunities – spaces remain
• Monthly Consumer Newsletter Advertising – spaces remain

Sign Up for Tourism London’s Show Your Badge Program

Tourism London’s Meetings & Conventions Team would like to encourage you to sign up for our Show Your Badge Program. Show Your Badge is a complimentary incentive program designed to encourage conference delegates to explore the city and visit local businesses during their conference stay. Delegates simply show the participating businesses their conference badge to obtain special offers and discounts (10% off, 2 for 1, BOGO, etc.). You decide what works for your retail business, restaurant or attraction! 2024 has been a busy year so far of meetings and conventions with many more to come this fall, and we want delegates to visit your business!

Read the London Feature in Ignite Magazine’s Summer Issue

Did you know that business events like conventions and conferences make up 40% of all tourism spending in Canada? Discover why London is the perfect convention destination! From one-of-a-kind experiences to world class venues, London has proven it can host business events of every shape and size. See for yourself and check out our feature in the summer issue of Ignite Magazine.

Save the Date: Ontario’s Southwest’s World Tourism Day Event

Ontario’s Southwest is hosting an in-person event on September 27th from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Retro Suites Hotel in celebration of World Tourism Day. Capitalize on this tremendous opportunity to connect with individuals from tourism businesses and organizations in Southwestern Ontario. The event will include lunch, networking and a keynote presentation.

Ontario’s Southwest Launches Develop to Market 3.0 Program

Want an ad in the Globe and Mail? Ontario’s Southwest’s (OSW) Develop to Market (D2M) 3.0 may be able to help you with that. This year, OSW is partnering with the Globe and Mail to support tourism businesses investing in:

1. Sustainability
2. Accessibility
3. Inclusivity

OSW is looking for tourism operators to provide a minimum of $1,800 in eligible expenses and will match this with $1,800 towards purchasing an ad on your behalf (total value of $5,650).

Ad space is available in the Globe and Mail during the following months:

• September - Explore Ontario Special Supplement – Fall Colours
  • Sneak peek of this cooperative full-page ad - Sample Creative
  • Supplement Info – (ignore deadline)
  • Participation deadline – August 13th
  • Ad materials due – August 19th
• October - Fall Fun
• November - Stay & Play
• Early December - Holiday Gift Giving Ideas
  Note: Themes may change based on participating partners.

Click the button below to learn more about D2M 3.0 and to sign up today. Space filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Tourism Growth Program Now Open for Applications

The second intake of the Tourism Growth Program in Southern Ontario, which provides funding to businesses and organizations to develop tourism attractions and experiences that will draw people to our country and communities, is now open and accepting applications. The deadline to apply is September 17, 2024.

Preference is given to small- and medium-sized enterprises in this intake and those who have already received funding under the Tourism Growth Program will not be considered for another project. Businesses interested in applying are encouraged to visit the link below to read full eligibility criteria and learn more about the program.

FedDev Ontario officials will also host an information session on Wednesday, August 21, 2024 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. on MS Teams. Registration for this session can be completed here. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to reach out to FedDev Ontario by email info@feddevontario.gc.ca or by phone at 1-866-593-5505.

Apply Now to the Transition to Tourism Entrepreneurship Program

Currently offered *FREE for Indigenous and Rural Non-Indigenous Tourism and Hospitality Entrepreneurs, the Transition to Tourism Entrepreneurship (TTE) Program includes:

• Firecircle’s 5x5 Method™ - Easy to follow, 5-step, 25 workshop foundational planning and implementation program to coach you through envisioning your opportunity, building your brand story, building your operations, designing your product and managing your money
• Personalized online vision session with an expert Mentor
• 1-on-1 coaching and mentorship with up to 15 hours of 1-on-1 mentorship and coaching to help you develop your business and create a custom-made business plan
• Live weekly group sessions on the Firecircle 5x5 business-development concepts to support your learning journey, connect with other entrepreneurs and ensure you have full comprehension of the learning materials
• Business plan mapping with an easy-to-follow template to incorporate all of the Workshop information you are developing in the program as you plan, analyze and determine the feasibility of your business and create your own personalized business plan

The TTE program is valued at over $5,000.00 and is funded in part by the Government of Canada and in partnership with the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada.

Destination Canada’s Quarterly Tourism Snapshot Released

The Canadian Tourism Data Collective, a partnership between Destination Canada, Statistics Canada and the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, has released its Q1 2024 Quarterly Tourism Snapshot. This new centralized national platform serves as a two-way street for sharing and accessing tourism data. The first quarterly report shows three key takeaways in the performance of Canada’s tourism sector:

• Total tourism spend continued to outpace pre-pandemic baseline
• International visitation approaching recovery levels
• Canada is a popular destination among travellers in key markets

Please share any updates from your business with us by emailing tourinfo@londontourism.ca or by tagging us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

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