Dear Partner in Tourism,

It’s been a busy January and we’ve compiled several updates, funding announcements and reports to bring you up to speed on the tourism industry in London, across Ontario and throughout Canada. Please take a moment to read about the following topics:

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED NEW FUNDING SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESSES

The Federal Government announced a new funding support for small businesses to support Main Streets. The My Main Street Business Sustainability Program stream will provide up to $20,000 in direct-to-business funding to support productivity enhancements for up to 325 brick-and-mortar businesses located on main streets across Southern Ontario. Funding will be made available to businesses that employ between 1 and 50 staff, have demonstrated revenue growth and provide a business case on how the funding will strengthen their existing capacity and support their growth. The Business Sustainability Program applications launch February 15.

TOURISM LONDON LAUNCHES SHOW YOUR BADGE PROGRAM

The Tourism London Conventions Team is excited to launch their brand-new 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 is shaping up to be a busy year of meetings and conventions and we want delegates to visit your business!

PARADIGM SPIRITS WINS PRESTIGIOUS CANADIAN WHISKY AWARD

Congratulations to the team at Paradigm Spirits Co. whose 2022 Heritage Collection Whiskey was recently named the 2024 Whisky of the Year by the distinguished panel of judges at the Canadian Whisky Awards. Paradigm Spirits Co. is located at 100 Kellogg Lane, a former cereal processing facility turned lively and growing destination hub in London, Ontario. The distillery is dedicated to crafting exceptional spirits that push the boundaries of tradition, with a focus on quality, innovation and a passion for the art of distillation.

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES TWO-YEAR CAP ON INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS’ VISAS

The Federal Government announced in January that it will apply a temporary cap on international student visas. The restriction on new study permits will limit the number of students entering Canada by one-third resulting in 364,000 approvals. The cap will be applied to all provinces. While other rationales have been used to support the government’s decision it's housing that stands out. Leaders in the Tourism Industry are concerned with this announcement as international students fill a huge void in many hospitality jobs. They’re working with industry collogues for immigration efficiencies including favourable exemptions to students.

ORHMA REMINDER: AGCO LIQUOR LICENSE RENEWAL

ORHMA is hearing restaurant and hotel operators are forgetting to renew their liquor licenses. This can be devastating to the business with many consequences. They’re urging everyone to ensure a time reminder system is in place to avoid this.

If your application and fee are received on or before the expiry date, you will receive a Renewal Confirmation Notice allowing you to operate until you receive your license.

If your renewal application is not received by the expiry date on your liquor licence, your licence will expire and you can no longer sell or serve alcohol. Expired liquor licences cannot be renewed. Keep in mind that you are prohibited under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 from selling/serving alcohol without a valid liquor licence. If your Liquor Sales Licence has expired, you must complete and submit a new Liquor Sales Licence Application, which will result in you receiving a new licence number.

ONTARIO’S SOUTHWEST LAUNCHES REVISED FUNDING RESOURCES PAGE

Have you visited Ontario’s Southwest’s revised Funding Resources page? This page features resources to support you in writing applications for funding with relevant data and insights that can be incorporated into your applications. It also allows you to request a letter of support if you need one and provides assistance in finding available funding programs that may be relevant to you. Take some time and check it out below.

TIAO WELCOMES ANDREW SIEGWART AS NEW PRESIDENT & CEO

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) announced the appointment of Andrew Siegwart as its new President & CEO, effective January 21, 2024. Andrew, a seasoned professional with a proven track record in leadership, advocacy and community development in tourism and related sectors, will lead the organization into a new era of growth and innovation. In his previous eight years as President and CEO of the Blue Mountain Village Association (BMVA), Andrew delivered exceptional advocacy results by building stakeholder coalitions, strengthening government relationships and raising the organization's public profile. Under his leadership, BMVA achieved significant milestones, including increased member engagement, award-winning destination marketing programs, financial sustainability and regional economic development.

TIAO RELEASES TSNO WORKFORCE ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES AND IMPACT REPORT: EDITION 3

A Tourism SkillsNet Ontario initiative led by OTEC in partnership with TIAO, the third edition of the report has been released. This report highlights the most up-to-date workforce intelligence data, local workforce issues, critical needs and opportunities for the sector and policy progress to support recovery. New to this edition is a feature on current workforce development programs that are helping to shape a diverse and skilled workforce.

This report is a must-read for any organization within (or supporting) the tourism and hospitality sector in Ontario. It is your go-to source for provincial employment demand projections and the business and labour issues that matter most to the sector.

TIAC’S NATIONAL TOURISM JOB FAIR: CONNECTING OPERATORS WITH JOB SEEKERS AND SO MUCH MORE

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is set to revolutionize the way tourism operators and job seekers connect with its upcoming National Tourism Job Fair, taking place virtually on Thursday, February 1, 2024 from 12:00 - 3:00 p.m. More than just a one-day event, it’s a platform for job seekers to explore career options and network with industry leaders, as well as engage in expert-led sessions on industry trends, skill development and strategies for navigating the evolving landscape of travel and hospitality.

DESTINATION ONTARIO LAUNCHES LATEST INDUSTRY HEALTH CHECK

Destination Ontario’s Data & Insights team has released the most recent Ontario Tourism Health Check report highlighting recovery indicators such as accommodation occupancy rates and border crossings. This report tells the tourism recovery story by curating relevant tourism data into a format that visualizes the information for industry stakeholders.

Key Takeaway:

• Tourism in Ontario is in an overall upward recovery trend. Some Key Performance Indicators have fully surpassed 2022 levels in all regions but are still below pre-pandemic levels (2019)

Highlights:

• Border crossings from all key international markets (except U.S.) in October 2023 surpassed 2022 levels but have not reached pre-pandemic levels (2019) by a 21.5% gap; U.S. entries grew 16.1% versus October 2022 but declined 20.2% compared to October 2019
• Net Ontario entry through border crossings from the U.S. has decreased since before the pandemic in 2019 while net border crossings from other international markets (expect U.S.) have improved.
• Travel Price Index in November 2023 decreased by 0.4% compared with November 2022 levels, following a 0.3% decrease in October
• Short-term rental occupancy rates in November 2023 have underperformed compared with November 2022 levels by 4.9 percentage point gap and November 2019 levels by 10.3 percentage point gap on average for all regions
• Hotel occupancy rates in October 2023 have surpassed October 2022 levels by 1.4 percentage point and have surpassed October 2019 levels by a 2.0 percentage point gap on average for all regions

This report is based on open-data and is shareable with the Ontario tourism industry.

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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