Dear Partner in Tourism,

It's been a busy time at the Tourism London office as we hosted our AGM, launched our Visitor Guide and more. We’ve compiled a few local, provincial and national updates. Please take a moment to read about:

Tourism London: Annual General Meeting Recap

A big thank you to all those who took the time to come out to Boler Mountain for Tourism London’s Annual General Meeting! 2023 was a busy year for Tourism London’s staff and Board of Directors. Here’s a few highlights from the year:

• We changed our bylaws to offer memberships at no cost to our partners
• We successfully hosted the 2023 Tim Hortons Brier! We sold out the final where Brad Gushue won his 5th Brier title
• We welcomed thousands of delegates for the Annual Associations of Municipalities of Ontario conference, the American Ornithological Society and the Society of Canadian Ornithologists joint conference
• We grew the London Music Office to 3 staff members to deliver more fulsome support and ambassadorship for the music community
• We told more stories, engaged with key partners/influencers and amplified voices resulting in the most unique website visitors to date, spending an average visit duration almost double of that in 2022

In 2024, you can look forward to:

• London finally hosting the London 2024 Ontario Summer Games (August 1-4) after two pandemic postponements
• The implementation of the MAT Legacy Festival Funding program
• Tourism London hosting the 3rd installment of our Industry Familiarization Tour
• The arrival of the IACAC Conference at Western University
• The launch of the ‘Show Your Badge’ initiative
• Representatives from the UNESCO Cities of Music ascending upon London for their annual meeting
• Celebrating milestone years with Sunfest’s 30th anniversary and Rock the Park’s 20th anniversary
• Welcoming the brand new Great Outdoors Comedy Festival to London

For minutes from our 2023 Annual General Meeting, click here.

For more information from the Conference Board of Canada on the Economic Impact of Tourism in the City of London in 2023, click here.

Tourism London’s 2024/25 Visitor Guide Has Launched

We're excited to announce the launch our 2024/25 Visitor Guide. With a focus on family fun, arts and culture, things to do, food and drink, outdoor adventure and more, the new Visitor Guide tells unique stories that will inspire travellers to make their next stop Canada’s UNESCO City of Music: London, Ontario. Printed copies have hit the mail and are being distributed across Ontario, Michigan and Ohio. We’ve also invested in robust social and digital marketing campaigns directing users to our online guide. Partners should have received a copy by now, but if you’d like additional copies sent to you, please reach out to tourinfo@londontourism.ca. In the meantime, you’re welcome to enjoy the digital version online and are encouraged to share it widely within your networks.

Nominations Now Open: 2024 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence

Nominations are now being accepted for the highly anticipated 2024 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence, celebrating Ontario's best in tourism and hospitality.

Submissions are open in the following categories:

• Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence
• Tourism Marketing & Travel Media Awards of Excellence
• Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence
• OTEC Workforce Innovation and Collaboration Award
• Ontario’s Choice Award (Attractions Ontario)

Help us recognize the outstanding individuals, businesses and organizations driving London’s thriving tourism sector. From innovative offerings and events to impactful partnerships and accomplishments, these awards honour excellence across the industry. Nominate an organization or a colleague exceeding expectations in their field, or yourself! Submissions close Tuesday, July 16.

Destination Canada Launches New 2030 Tourism Strategy: A World of Opportunity

Destination Canada has set a bold goal: to propel Canada into the ranks of the top 7 global destinations by 2030. Achieving this will require them to increase Canada’s global competitiveness and bring in up to $160 billion in annual revenue by 2030. Their new tourism strategy, A World of Opportunity, stands as a roadmap to transform the way tourism is experienced, expanded, promoted and measured in this country.

LondonOntarioGolf.com Launches 2024 London & Area Golf Survey

Our friends at LondonOntarioGolf.com have launched a survey and they’re hoping for golfers in the area to participate. This comprehensive, 50-question survey takes only 10 minutes to complete and is a follow up from the 2020 edition. The results will be used to produce a report and shared with the local golf industry on how local golfers enjoy the game, what’s important to them on and off the golf course and how they spend their dollars during an ever-increasing tough economy.

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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