Northern Ont. tourism officials shift focus to American and Toronto travellers

Tourism is a critical industry that supports significant economic development and revenue for many cities in northern Ontario.

A two-day northern Ontario tourism summit at the Best Western Hotel in North Bay includes more than 230 tourism officials, outdoor businesses and government officials.

A two-day northern Ontario tourism summit at the Best Western Hotel in North Bay includes more than 230 tourism officials, outdoor businesses and government officials. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

They are trying to find ways to pull in international, out-of-province and American travellers to the north.

It’s the 10th annual summit and the first to be hosted in the Gateway City.

From the vast Canadian wilderness to outdoor activities and events and programming to keep them here, having significant opportunities in the north to draw people in is a key factor.

"It’s even more important in northern Ontario than elsewhere in the province," said David MacLachlan, executive director of Destination Northern Ontario.

MacLachlan said visitor numbers in the north are finally back to what they were pre-COVID 19 pandemic.

But there are still challenges in attracting American tourists to come for an excursion in the north.

“We're doing better in the east. On the Ontario average, we're down about eight per cent over pre-COVID numbers,” he said, about the rate of American visitors to Ontario.

A two-day northern Ontario tourism summit at the Best Western Hotel in North Bay includes more than 230 tourism officials, outdoor businesses and government officials. (Eric Taschner/CTV News)

"The far northwest is down about 20 per cent over pre-COVID numbers."

Overseas visitor numbers have rebounded since the pandemic largely put a halt to travel but are not close to 2018 figures.

To attract travellers, tourism officials with Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters (NOTO) continue to push the government for marketing support.

"That’s to help us reach out to more markets for those domestic market folks who had come up to the north who had come up during the pandemic. We want them to come back," said Laurie Marcil, NOTO’s executive director.

In North Bay, it was a busy summer. As the weather slowly transitions to winter, an aggressive pull is underway to attract visitors from the Greater Toronto Area and Quebec for winter activities like ice fishing, snowmobiling and skiing.

"North Bay is so perfectly positioned to be able to welcome folks from the south and from the east. We’re trying to work on that four-season programming so that we can remain consistent throughout the year," said Tourism North Bay executive director Tanya Bedard.

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"As far as August and September, we’re about on par with where we were last year. It’s always great to remain consistent in this industry. However, we’re always looking for growth opportunities, which we have seen month over month."

MacLachlan added that the big advantage the north has is the region’s natural beauty. This is what tourism officials want to sell to travellers as a big pull when it comes to drawing people in.

"We have that iconic Canadian scenery. That's our calling card," he said.