Premier Ranked Tourist Destination FrameworkFINAL REPORT • May 19, 2011

This Project was funded in part by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture

Project Facilitator

Premier Ranked Tourist Destination Framework

FINAL REPORT May 19, 2011

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization 9 International Drive, Suite 129

Pembroke, ON K8A 6W5T: 613-629-6486 (1-855-629-OHTO)

F: 613-629-6488

www.ohto.ca

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1INTRODUCTION 2SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 3PREMIER RANKED TOURIST DESTINATION FRAMEWORK - PROCESS 4PRTDF FINDINGS 8PRTDF OBSERVATIONS 15PRTDF RECOMMENDATIONS 18PRTDF IMPLEMENTATION 22

1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSOntario’s Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) would like to acknowledge and thank the many tourism business operators and industry colleagues who contributed to the success of the Ontario Highlands Premier-Ranked Tourist Destination Framework Project.

OHTO Transitional Board of Directors

Todd Mattila-Hartman Storyland ResortMelissa Johnston Ottawa Valley Tourist AssociationKen Hook Land O’ Lakes Tourist AssociationStephen Paul County of Lennox & AddingtonGeorge Offshack Limerick Lake LodgeKim Crawford Bancroft & District Chamber of CommerceRob Price Spotted Dog B&BJim Bakker ComfortCounty.caMarie White Lanark County TourismJill Campbell Lanark County TourismAimee Bailey Algonquin NationAnne Marie Forcier Rideau Heritage Route Tourism AssociationRobert Smith County of HaliburtonAmy Brohm Haliburton Highlands TourismMitchell Wilkie Ottawa Valley Tourist Association

Project Lead:•NicoleWhiting,OHTOGeneralManger

Audit Team:• JoeyHitchins•BrennaKelly• PeterBrotton

Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture:•BevQuirt,JonathanHarris,RegionalTourismCoordinators

Project Facilitator:•RichardInnes,BRAINTRUSTMarketing&Communications

2

INTRODUCTIONOntario’s Highlands is one of 13 Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs) established in Ontario to help implementtherecommendationsofthe2009OntarioTourismCompetitivenessStudy.RTOshavebeensetupasindependent,industry-led,not-for-profitorganizationsresponsibleforworkingwithstakehold-erstogrowandenhanceeachregion’stourismproducts,experiencesandmarketingactivities.RTOshelpensureamorecoordinatedapproachistakenfortourismmarketing,managementanddevelopmentacrosstheprovince.Thestrategyisthatbyprovidingregionalleadershipandcoordination,RTOswillhelpbuildmorecompetitiveandsustainabletourismregionsthatarebetterabletoattractmorevisitors,generatemoretourismeconomicactivity,andcreatemorejobsacrosstheprovince.

Ontario’sHighlandsoperatesasanotforprofitcorporation,wasestablishedinOctober2010andconsistsofthecountiesofRenfrew,Haliburton,Hastings,Lanark,andpartsofLennox,AddingtonandFrontenaccounties. At the outset of its formation the leaders responsible for establishing the organization recog-nizedtheneedto“inventory”and“assess”thetourismassetswithintheirnewlycreatedregion.ForthisreasontheyutilizedthePremier-rankedTouristDestinationFrameworkknowingthatitwoulddeliveracomprehensivepictureandprovidetheinformationneededtodevelopplanstobothenhanceandpro-mote Ontario’s Highlands tourism region.

3

SITUATIONAL ANALYSISInthefallof2010theOntarioMinistryofTourismandCulture,usingthe2008StatisticsCanadare-searchdata,preparedanoverviewofOntario’sHighlandstourismperformance.Thissummaryoftour-ism data was the only tangible and reliable source of statistical information for the newly formed region. Itispresentedheretoprovideacontextforthedestinationdevelopmentworkthatwillfollowasaresultof the PRTDF process.• In2008,therewere4.1millionvisitstoOntario’sHighlands,4.0%oftotalvisitstoOntario.Visitorsto

Ontario’sHighlandsspent$448millionor2.5%oftotalvisitorspendinginOntario• Ontarioresidentsaccountforthevastmajorityofvisitsandspending,otherCanadaresidentsac-

countfor2%ofvisitsand3%ofspending,U.S.visitorsrepresent5%ofvisitsand12%ofexpendi-tures,overseasvisitorsaccountfor1%ofvisitsand3%ofspending

• Visitorsspendanaverageof$110/trip.Overnightvisitorsspend2.8timesasmuchassame-dayvisitors.U.S.visitorsspendthemostat$397/trip

• Thelargestproportionofexpenditureswasspentonfood&beverageandtransportation• Renfrew,HaliburtonandLanarkarethemostvisitedcountiesinOntario’sHighlands,witheachre-

ceiving20%-30%oftotalvisitors• U.S.visitorsprimarilycomefromborderstates(74%)including31%fromNewYorkState• Thetop8overseasmarketsrepresent78%ofoverseasvisitors.TheU.K.isbyfartheleadingoverseas

sourcemarketat28%ofoverseasvisits• Themajorityofvisitsareovernightvisitsamongvisitorsofallorigins• Mosttripsareforpleasure.OtherCanadaandoverseasvisitorsalsovisitfriendsandrelatives• Themajorityofovernightvisitorsstayinunpaidaccommodations.Internationalvisitorsaremore

likelytostayinpaidaccommodationsthandomesticvisitors• OccupancyandRevParhavedeclinedslightlyoverthepastfewyearswhileADRhasgrownslightly• Ontario’sHighlandshasloweroccupancy,ADRandRevParthantotalOntario• Ontario’sHighlandsrepresents2%ofOntario’stourismrelatedestablishments• Ontarioresidentsaremorelikelytoparticipateinoutdooractivities• U.S.visitorsengageinavarietyofactivities,especiallyoutdooractivities• Overseasvisitorsaremorelikelytovisitmuseums,historicsites,etc.

Source: Statistics Canada, Travel Survey of the Residents of Canada 2008, International Travel Survey 2008, Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture

4

PREMIER RANKED TOURIST DESTINATION FRAMEWORK - PROCESSThePremier-rankedTouristDestinationFramework(PRTDF)wasaninitiativedevelopedbytheOntarioMinistry of Tourism and Culture in 2001. The goal of the PRTDF program is to help destinations across Ontarioidentifyareasfordevelopmentrelatedtotourism,assesstheircompetitivetourismadvantageandultimatelyimprovetobecomeadestinationofchoice.BeingaPremier-rankedTouristDestinationindicatesthat“hereisaplacemoreattractivethantherest,aplacethepotentialtouristvisitorshouldconsiderfirstinmakingtravelplans.”Tobeclear,Premier-rankedisnotaformaltourismdesignationbut rather is an internal tourism goal for a destination to work towards as it relates to becoming “better thantherest”.

Toassistmunicipalitieswithassessinganddevelopingtheirtourismproduct,theMinistryofTourismand Culture established a tool called the Premier-ranked Tourist Destination Framework. This frame-workassistsjurisdictionsinassessingtheirtouristassets,attractionsandamenitiesandallowsthemtoidentifyopportunitiesintourismdevelopment.

TheOntario’sHighlandsPRTDFprojectisaninitiativefacilitatedbytheOntario’sHighlandsTourismOrganization,theOntarioMinistryofTourismandCultureandtourismindustrystakeholders.Thefunding for the project came from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

Thesuccessfulimplementationoftherecommendationsisbasedonathoroughunderstanding,apprecia-tion,engagementandendorsementfromboththeprivateandpublicsectorpartners.Thisisnotaninitia-tiveofgovernment,atanylevel.Itisasharedprocessundertakenbyindustryandgovernment,bothmustaccepttheaccountabilityfordeliveryifitistobeviewedasproductiveoverthelongterm.

Contract staff (the audit team) was hired to assist in the completion of the PRTDF resource audit. The re-sourceauditwascarriedoutbytheauditteamthroughacomprehensiveresearchprocessusingavarietyoftoolsincludingtheinternet,publicationsscan,telephoneinterviewsandareviewofrelevantresearchdocuments.Theteam,workingwithdestinationmarketingorganizations,completedaninventoryoftourism assets found in the destination using the parameters of the PRTDF workbook.

ThetourismconsultingfirmBRAINTRUSTMarketing&Communicationswasretainedtoassistwiththeproject.Usingtheauditresults,theymadenumerousobservations,developmentofaseriesofrecom-mendationsandpreparedthefinalreport.BrainTrustworkedwiththeOHTOtransitionalboard,staff,theauditteamandanumberofindustrystakeholderstovalidatethefindings,observationsandrecom-mendations.Basedonfeedbackandcommentsrecommendationsforinclusioninthefinalreportweredeveloped.

5

What is the Premier-ranked Tourist Destination Framework?

ThePRDFwasdevelopedbytheOntarioMinistryofTourismandCulture(theMinistry)toprovideaframeworkfortourismdestinationsacrossOntariotodefinetheircompetitivepositionwithinthetour-ism marketplace.

TheMinistrydevelopedaresourceauditandworkbookformatthatoutlinestheattributes/factors/condi-tions that are considered prerequisites for a tourist destination to be considered serious in building the economic well being of its destination. Meeting these requirements is essential in order to grow tourism revenuesforthedestinationanditstourismshareholders.

Theworkbookformatprovidesasimplemethodologythatcommunitiescanfollowtoensureconsistency,accuracy,andmaximuminvolvementofthekeytourismandeconomicdevelopmentstakeholdersintheprocess. The workbook emphasis is on enabling any tourist destination (of any scale) to operate at the highestpossiblelevelitcanachieve–notnecessarilyincompetitionwithotheroperators,butinacom-plementary context within that particular destination.

Itshouldbenotedthatbeing,ormovingtobeingPremier-ranked IS NOT an official designation or grading.Itissimplyaprocessdesignedtohelpdestinationsimproveintheirviabilityandcompetitive-nessasaplacevisitorswanttovisit.

ThePRTDFiscompletedusingaWorkbookthatasksspecificquestionsaboutthedestinationusingasimplemethodology.Completionoftheworkbookisdonebysourcingallpossiblerelevanttourismsta-tisticsandinformation.Thesourcesofthisinformationincludebutarenotlimitedto,MinistrydataandvariousregionalreportsalongwithinformationgatheredbytheprojectauditteaminadetailedResourceAudit.

TheWorkbookservesasamanualthat:1) Capturestheattributes/factors/conditionsconsiderednecessaryforatouristdestinationtobeper-

ceivedasaPremier-rankedTouristDestination;2) Identifiesweaknessesandgapsthatmustbeaddressed;3) Identifiesstrengthsandopportunitiesthatmightbeusedtocreatesustainablecompetitiveadvantage;and4) Providesafocusforbuildinganexpandednetworkoftourismstakeholdersandconsensusonfuture

priorities for action.

“Premier-ranked is defined as:“A place more attractive than the rest, a place the tourist

should consider first when making travel plans.”

6

TheResourceAuditinOntario’sHighlandswasmadeupofthreecomponents:

1. Competition of the Tourism Resource/Opportunity Matrix. TheopportunityMatrixlooksat123opportunitiesintheareasof:1) Water-basedrecreationopportunities;2) Land-basedrecreationopportunities;3) Landandwater-basedopportunities;4)Naturalresourceopportunities;5)Culturalandheritageresourceopportunities;6) Builtrecreation/commercialinfrastructure.

2. A Travel Trade Resources Checklist.

3. A Transportation Resources Checklist.

Why the PRTDF in Ontario’s Highlands?

ByundertakingthePRTDFprojecttheleadersinOntario’sHighlandsareindicatingadesiretomovetheirdestinationtothenextlevel.ThroughtheOHTOtheindustrywillhaveanaccurateassessmentofthedestination’sstrengthsanddeficienciesandmoreimportantlyaclearplanforimprovement.

ThePRTDFprocessallowsOntario’sHighlandstoanalyzebasedata,benchmarkareasofimprovementforthefutureandworkmorecollaborativelytowardsavisitor/customer-firstphilosophyindestinationdevelopmentforattractingandretainingtouriststoitscommunity.Itshedslightondevelopment,infra-structure,trainingandinvestmentneeds.Theprocessdefinesthedestination’sstrengths,productclustersandidentifiesourmajortripmotivatorsaswellasopportunitiestoworkcollectivelywithallinvolvedintourism.AgainsttheformationofnewtourismregionswithintheProvinceofOntariotheprocesswasafirststepforOHTOingaininggreaterunderstandingandidentifyingthetourismassetsthatexistedwithinthenewlyformedregionandtoestablishabenchmarkofdevelopmentopportunitiesforOHTO.Itwasdeemedtobeanimportantopportunitytofostergreatercommunication,networkingandindustryrelationswithinthetourismsector,businesscommunityandwithseverallevelsofgovernmentespeciallywithin the context of the newly formed regional tourism organization.

7

PRODUCT, PERFORMANCE AND FUTURITY, THE THREE ASSESSMENT MEASURES

Therearethreespecificdimensionsoftourismassessmentincludedinthestudy.

THE PRODUCT DIMENSION:

A Premier-ranked Tourist Destination provides a high quality tourist experience, enabled through the destination’s offerings of: A.DistinctiveCoreAttractions; B.QualityandCriticalMass; C.SatisfactionandValue; D.Accessibility;and, E. An Accommodations Base.

THE PERFORMANCE DIMENSION:

Quality of the tourist experience and the destination’s success in providing it is validated by: F. Visitation G.OccupancyandYield;and, H. Critical Acclaim.

THE FUTURITY DIMENSION:

The quality of the tourist experience and the destination’s success is sustained by: I.DestinationMarketing; J.ProductRenewal;and, K. Managing within Carrying Capacities.

PRTDF Process

ThePRTDFhasbeendesignedinathreestageprocessofevaluation,interpretationandplanning.Thesestagesandtheirrespectivestepsare:

Evaluation: Step1 -CompletetheResourceAudit; Step2 -MeasuredestinationProduct; Step3 -MeasuredestinationPerformance; Step4 -MeasuredestinationFuturity.

Interpretation: Step5 -CompletethedestinationPerformanceSummary; Step6 -ReportObservationsfromPRTDFProcess

Planning: Step7 -Determinethenextstepsintourismdevelopmentforthedestination.

Tourism Resource/Opportunity Matrix TheTourismResource/OpportunityMatrixwasusedasatooltoguideconsiderationoftheassetbaseandtheresourcescontributingtothecurrentmarketpenetrationofthetouristdestinationarea.Itisalsousedasanaidtoidentifyproductgapsandopportunitiesforfutureproductdevelopment.

The Transportation Resources Checklist The Transportation Checklist was completed by the project team using information gathered from local sources.

The Travel Trade Resources Checklist TheTravelTradeResourceChecklistwascompletedbytheprojectteam.

8

PRTDF FINDINGSDistinctive Core Attractors

Definition-CoreAttractor:Thefeatures,facilities,and/orexperienceswhichactastheprimarymotiv-atorsformosttraveltothedestination;theattractorswiththemosttouristvisitsinthedestination.Coreattractorscandifferfromseasontoseason,forexamplegolfvs.skiingatafourseasonsresortdestination.Theycanoverlaporbedistinctlydifferentandappealtodifferingvisitorsegments,e.g.,afamilytakinginafestivaloreventvs.anindividualattendingacorporatemeetingataresortconferencefacility;ormassvs.nichesegments,e.g.,visitingaProvincialParkforwatersportsvs.attendingaperformanceofalocaldance troupe in Bancroft.

Acoreattractorcanalsobeaclusterofassetsallrelatingtoaspecifictheme,e.g.,dining,shopping,enter-tainmentindowntownHaliburton;oranexperienceenabledbyclustering,e.g.,awalkingtourinSmithsFalls combined with a cruise on the Rideau Heritage Route.

Ontario’s Highlands Core Attractors

• Land Based Outdoor Recreation Experiences• Water-BasedOutdoorRecreationActivitiesandExperiences• Recreation Geology Experiences• Arts,CultureandHeritageExperiences

Core attractors are located throughout the region and offer great potential when considering positioning forOntario’sHighlands.Inotherregionsonecouldsaythat“alldestinationsarenotcreatedequally”.InOntario’s Highlands there is a good selection of core attractors spread throughout the entire region

Land Based Outdoor Recreation Experiences

Outdoor recreation has played a large part in the make-up of Ontario’s Highlands tourism products and experiencesformanyyears.Itisattheheartoftheregionandthereasonthedestinationhasattractedsomanyseasonalresidentsandcottageowners.Thevarietyofoutdoorrecreationoptionsavailablepro-videsthevisitoranalmostendlesslistofthingstoseeanddoinandoutofseason.Therearefeaturesandactivitiesthatcoveraspectrumofmassandnicheinterestsandappeals.Theseexperiencesareenjoyedby people of all ages and throughout the calendar year. Outdoor recreation experiences are not always locatedincloseproximitytovisitorservicesincludingaccommodations,foodandbeverageandretailestablishments;thiscanprovetobeachallengewhenattemptingtoextendlengthofstay.

9

TheinventoryofOutdoorRecreationExperiencesincluded:• Hundredsofkilometersofgroomedsnowmobiletrailsthatarepartofthe16,402kmsoftheTrans

OntarioProvincialTrailssystem,whichconnectsto34,262kmsofOntarioFederationofSnowmobileClub prescribed snowmobile trails )

• 40+golfcourses• 15+summercamps• 44dayhiketrails• 53mountainbiketrails• 9equestriantrails• 54snowshoeing/crosscountryskitrails• 60+campinggrounds• 100+cottageresortexperiences• Twowellknowndownhillskihills• 9ProvincialParks(operatingandnon-operating)• 6ConservationAreas• Numerousopportunitiestoviewfloraandfauna

Water-Based Outdoor Recreation Activities and Experiences

ManyOntariodestinationsoffervisitorswaterbasedexperiencesbutinOntario’sHighlandswaterplaysa foundational role in much of what the destination offers. The physical geography of the area including thevastamountoflakes,riversandstreamsprovidesasignificantnumberofwaterbasedexperiencesforalltoenjoy,primarilyinthewarmweathermonthsoftheyear.TheOttawaRiveristhecentrepieceforwater based tourism experiences. The region also connects to The Rideau Heritage Route. Ontario’s only UNESCOdesignationthatalsoprovidesuniquewaterbasedexperiences.Thesearethereasonsthedes-tinationreceivessignificantnotoriety.Guestscanaccessthewaterinanynumberofways.Thelonglistofwatersideaccommodationsoptionsprovidesperhapsthemostappealingopportunitiestoexperiencethearea’srichvarietyofwaterways.

Theinventoryofwater-basedoutdoorrecreationactivitiesandexperiencesincludes:• WhitewaterpaddlingontheworldfamousOttawaRiver• Otherwhitewaterrivers:Petawawa,Madawaska,Gullandmore• 5,600+lakes• Sportfishing-20speciesoffishavailableforanglers• 141boatlaunches• RideauCanal,Ontario’sonlyUNESCOWorldHeritageSite• Numerouscanoeandkayakpaddlingopportunities

10

Recreation Geology Experiences

This is a truly unique collection of tourism experiences that has set the destination apart from its compe-tition.Thereisaspectrumofopportunitiesthatattractavidrockhoundsandaccidentaltourists.Experi-encesforthemostpartareenjoyedatfixedlocationsthroughouttheregionwithcriticalmassinHastingsand Haliburton Counties. • Mazinawpictographs(FrontenacCounty)• FrontenacArchBiosphere-relatedexperiences• BonnechereCaves,BonnechereMuseum,OrdovicianFossilCapitalofCanada• Rockhounding-MarmoraMineTrail,Tour(HastingsCounty)• Bancroft,theRockandMineralCapitalofCanada(HastingsCounty)• GemboreeAnnualRockHoundingFestival(HastingsCounty)• SilverQueenMineTour-Murphy’sPoint(LanarkCounty)• GreenMantelMineralFarm(HaliburtonCounty)

Arts, Culture and Heritage Experiences

TheArts,CultureandHeritageclusteroffersvisitorsawidevarietyofexperiencesdesignedtoentertainandenrich.Anchoredbyseveralspecificattractionsandannualeventstheregion’srichheritageandculture can be experienced throughout the entire region on a year-round basis. These experiences speak tothehistoricsignificanceoftheareaaswellasthediversemake-upofitspeople.Experiencesmaybeenjoyedbytouringtheareaorbyattendingaspecificsiteorperformance.Mostoftheattractorsarelo-catedincloseproximitytoavarietyofvisitorservicesincludingaccommodations,foodandbeverageandretail establishments. • 70+agriculturalexperiences• NorthernLightsPerformingArtsPavilion,Haliburton• HaliburtonArtsCommunity• 698Heritagesitesandbuildingswithnational,provincial,andregionalsignificance• 200+studios,galleries,arts/craftsshops,studiotours,andthemeretail• 40+museumsofferinginterpretationandeducationontopicsrangingfromagriculturetovoyageurs

to logging to military• RailwayMuseumofEasternCanada,NationalHistoricSite• RideauCanal,Ontario’sonlyUNESCOWorldHeritageSite• Numerousarts,cultureandheritageeventsandfestivals• Theatre,4–5professionalcompanies,Tweed,Sterling,Perth• Aboriginalheritage,theAlgonquinFirstNations• GenealogySocieties

11

Product Attributes

ThePRODUCTelement’scriteriaandmeasuresaddressthefeaturesthatenableadestinationtoofferahigh quality tourist experience.

ThefollowingarefindingspertainingtothetourismproductattributesforOntario’sHighlands.• Attractorsarepartofaregionalcomplexlinkedtothephysicalsettingandhistoryofthedestination• Thedestinationdoesnotstandoutasdistinctfromitscompetition• ThedestinationdoesnothaveaProductPositioningStatement• Coreattractorsarerelevanttomassandnichetouristmarkets• AttractorsdonotattractguestsfrombeyondOntario’sborders• 89%ofvisitationisfromOntarioresidents• Attractorsdonotattractyear-roundvisitation• Attractorsofferalimitedrangeofmemorableexperiencestosustaininterest24+hrs• Ofthe4.1millionvisits,1.8millionweredayvisitsand2.3millionstayedovernight(Itshouldbe

notedthatthevastmajorityofovernightvisitationcanbeattributedtothosestayinginprivatecot-tagesorvisitingfriendsandrelatives)

• Therearelimitedtourismoptionsthathaveappealtoavarietyofmarketsegments• Coreandon-themeactivitiesarenoteasytobuy• Manytourismoperationscloseintheoff-season• Therangeofculturalandentertainmentoptionsislimited• Therangeofdiningoptionsislimitedthroughouttheregion• Fewhavewinelistsofmorethan25labels(exceptionPerth)• Fewhavetrainedandaccreditedchefs• Restaurants/chefsdonothavenamerecognitionbeyondthelocalregion• Theregiondoesofferarangeofshoppingopportunities• Somehaverecognitionbeyondthelocalregion• Theregionisnotconsidered“friendly”or“hospitable”offering“valueformoney”–why…Wedon’t

know!Donotdosurveyswhichtrackguestsatisfaction• Thenearestmajorurbanmarketislessthan3hoursaway• Populationissubstantial–812,135people• 6.5millionpeoplearelocatedwithin5hoursofthemajorityoftheregion• DrivetimefromthenearestU.S.bordercrossingismorethan2hours• Drivetimefromthenearestinternationalairportiswithin2hoursfromtheeasterlyborderofthe

region but more then 3 hours from the westerly border• Travelfromnearesturbancentreispleasant• Alternativemodesoftravelareavailablebutlimitedtomotorcoach,scheduledbus

service,charteredshuttlebus,privateplane,privateautomobile

12

• Theregiondoesnotoffersufficientslipstotransientboaters• 115slipsareavailabletotransientboaters• Theregiondoesofferavarietyofaccommodationsoptionsatavarietyofqualitylevelsandprice

points-2643roomsat315properties• Theregionoffers5256Camping/RVsites• Theregionincludesalimitednumberof“branded”widelyknownoperators

Type of Accommodation # of Properties # of Rooms/Sites Price RangeTotalRVPark/Campsites 77 5256 $8-$100Bed&Breakfast 79 257 $40-$240Lodge 35 330 $42-$280ResortLodge/Hotel 51 312 $30-$650Motel-Independent 49 694 $25-$190Motel-Chain 7 99 $89-$129Hotel-Independent 9 217 $75-$320Hotel-Chain 8 434 $99-$230 TOTAL Roofed Accommodation 315 2343

Performance Attributes

The PERFORMANCE measures identify the extent to which Ontario’s Highlands is successful and rec-ognized in the marketplace. By comparing Ontario’s Highlands performance attributes in terms of hard data conclusions can be determined as to its actual performance against its primary competitors and in a competitivemarketplacecontext.Visitationstatistics,accommodationoccupancylevels,andcriticalac-claim are all industry standards to measure performance.

ThefollowingarefindingspertainingtothetourismperformanceattributesforOntario’sHighlands.Allfiguresoriginatefromthe2008TravelSurveyofCanadianResidentsandtheInternationalTravelSurveybothcompiledbyStatisticsCanadaandspecifictothetourismregiondefinedasOntario’sHighlands.• Intheyear2008,thedestinationattracted4,059,000guests,1,752,000wereonedayvisits,2,307,000

stayedovernight,thisrepresents4%oftotalvisitstoOntario• Overnightguestsoriginatedfromthefollowingoriginmarkets:

2,057,000 or 89.2%fromOntario150,000 or 6.5%fromtheU.S.67,000 or 2.9%fromotherprovinces33,000 or 1.4%fromotherinternationalmarkets

• Dayguestsoriginatedfromthefollowingoriginmarkets:1,664,000 or 95%fromOntario51,000 or 3%fromtheU.S.35,000 or 2%fromotherprovinces2,000 or .1%fromotherinternationalmarkets

13

• Visitationisdistributedoverfourquarterswiththevastmajorityoftripstakingplaceinthesummermonths:Q1-12.7%,Q2-26%,Q3-42.85%,Q4-18.38%

• AverageOccupancy:53.2%*Source:PKF2009• TotalspendingbyalltouristsontripsinOntariowas$17.6billion,thedestination’sshareoftotal

spendingbythesetouristswas2.5%• VisitorstoRegion11spent$448million• Visitorsspendanaverageof$110/trip,overnightvisitorsspend2.8timesasmuchassame-day

visitors,U.S.visitorsspendthemostat$397/trip• Overnightvisitorsspent$353,730,000,same-dayvisitorsspent$94,667,000• Isnotconsidereda“mustsee/mustdo”destinationhowever:

■ Istopofmindforsomeexperiences(rockhounding,canoe/kayaking) ■ Somerankingsas“Number1”or“Toptier”

ե The white water rafting and kayaking found in Renfrew County is unique and some of the bestknownwhitewaterintheworld,theregioncanclaimbeingthe“WhiteWaterCapitalofCanada”

ե HastingsCountyisthe“GemandMineralCapitalofCanada”

Futurity Attributes

TheFUTURITYelements,criteriaandmeasuresidentifytheextenttowhichthedestinationisinvestinginitsfutureasaplacewithviableandcontinuingattractivenesstoevolvingmarkets.

FuturityidentifiestheextenttowhichOntario’sHighlandsisinvestinginitsfutureasaplacewithviableandcontinuingattractivenesstoevolvingmarkets.Itincludestheactivitiesinplacetoraiseawarenessforthedestinationaswellasthedegreeinwhichnewinvestmentintheformofcapitaldollarswillbemadetoenhanceitsproductoffering.Italsodeterminesitscapacityinanumberofphysicalmeasuressuchasinfrastructure.

Thefollowingarefindingspertainingtothetourismfuturityattributes,thosethingsthatwillcontribute,ornot,tothedestinationsabilitytothrivethroughtourismgrowthintothefuture.• Thereisamarketdemandforthedestination’stypeofofferingaccordingtothe2007TravelActivities

andMotivationStudyActivity Motivated TripsAllWater-BasedActivities 33%AllWinterActivities 16%Festivals&Events 16%PublicCampgroundinaNaturePark 11%VisitingNational,ProvincialParks 11%FreshWaterFishing 10%LakesideResort 7%PrivateCampground 6%Campsiteinthewilderness 4%

14

• Marketdemandisfurtherdemonstratedbythegrowthincoreactivitiesfrom2006to2008withtheexceptionofOutdoor/SportsActivities:Activity 2006 2008Fishing 4,246,000 4,420,000Boating 2,715,000 6,220,000Museums/ArtGalleries 3,551,000 3,651,000HistoricSites 3,252,000 4,449,000Outdoor/SportsActivities 24,329,000 21,128,000

• In2008thetop5tourismactivitiesvisitorsparticipatedinwere:Activity # Of Visitors1.Outdoor/SportActivities 1,842,0002.NaturalProvincialNatureParks 271,0003.HistoricSites 200,0004.FestivalsandFairs 123,0005.CulturalPerformances 110,000

• Destination Marketing Organizations are in place ■ Ottawa Valley Tourism Association ■ Land O’ Lakes Tourism Association ■ Lanark County Tourism ■ Haliburton Highlands Tourism Organization ■ Comfort Country ■ Rideau Heritage Route Tourism Association

• DMO’s are not funded to reach target markets• Marketing strategies are in place in some DMO’s• TrackingofmarketingobjectivesisnotinplaceinmostDMO’s• DMO’sdonottrackinfluenceofmarketingonvisitationlevels• Customerservice-trainingisnotinplaceinmostoftheregion

15

PRTDF OBSERVATIONS• AformalTourismDestinationDevelopmentplanshouldbeinitiatedASAP

■ To prioritize actions form the PRTD process ■ Toincorporatedestinationdevelopmentinitiativesinoneplan

• Noclearbrandexists–considerdevelopingaproductpositioningstatement,onethatdifferentiatesOntario’s Highlands from other tourism regions in Ontario and beyond

• Itisunknownifthedestinationdeliversgoodserviceandvalueformoney ■ Acomprehensiveannualvisitorsurveyisneeded ■ Service/Experiencedeliverymaybeinconsistent

• Dayandovernighttripexpendituresarebelowtheprovincialaverage ■ Attempttoextendlengthofstay,peakseasontravelandcottagerrevenuesshouldbeanareaoffocus,whileatthesametimeconsideropportunitiestocapitalizeondrivingshoulderseasonbusiness

■ Attempts should be made to cluster complementary tourism experiences with accommodation offersinmulti-daytravelpackages

■ Focusshouldbegivenatusingcurrentunderperformingtourismassetsthataremarketreadytoattractmorevisitorsorenableexitingvisitorstostaylonger

■ Inadditionthedestinationmayexploredeveloping“newreasonstovisit”fromthelistofunder-developedtourismassets

• Underdevelopedandunderperformingassetsexistandthereisaneedtoprioritizetheseassetsinpartnership with the tourism industry in order that during the implementation phase attention can bedirectedattheassetsthatwillgeneratethegreatestreturnintermsoftourismvisitationandrev-enues

■ InitialattentionshouldbegiventoassessingtheopportunitiesassociatedwiththeRecreationalGeologyassetandleveragetheworkbeingdonethroughthepriorityproject

■ DMO’shavealsoprovidedalistofwhattheydeemtobetheirunderdevelopedtourismassets: see below.

ե Thislistrepresentsacombinationofexperiencesandopportunities.Wehaveindicatedthoseexperiences and opportunities that hold the greatest potential in terms of tourism market readiness,potentialandviabilityofhappeninginthenearterm.

16

COUNTYUNDERDEVELOPED TOURISM ASSETS

As indentified by each DMO

Tourism Potential/ Viability

1 – 5 (5 = High)

ATTRACTOR AFFILIATION

Lanark • Trails Inventory – leverage into packages 5 • Outdoor Recreation

• Public Docking at Rideau Ferry 4 • Outdoor Recreation

• Railway Museum Proposal 4 • Heritage

• Interpretation Tours and Animation of Public Spaces 4 • Culture, Heritage

• Shuttles from Provincial Parks into town 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Develop learning experiences; Dark Skies, Genealogy, Share a Curator 4 • Culture, Heritage

Lennox Addington

• Year-round Tourism Information Centre (junction of Hwy's 7 and 41 as a gateway to Ontario Highlands)

3

• Cross country ski trails within Bon Echo Provincial Park 4 • Outdoor Recreation

• 4 season upscale resort that could act as a base for other recreational activities 2 • Outdoor Recreation

• Outdoor education programs that guests at accommodation providers could tap into 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Wider selection of year-round family dining options 2

• More year-round accommodation options 3

Haliburton • Sport Fishing and Angling tourism experiences 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Develop Haliburton County Rail Trail 4 • Outdoor Recreation

• Red Cross Outpost Museum – a National Historic Site 4 • Heritage

• Outdoor Recreation Tourism Outfitters 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Mineral Tourism experiences, work has begun 4 • Outdoor Recreation

• Accessibility - Public Transportation options to and within Haliburton County 2 • Outdoor Recreation

17

Renfrew • Motorcoach Market (operator training & familiarization, tour development, packaging)

3

• Algonquin Cultural Centre 4 • Culture, Heritage

• Guided Outfitter Services: naturalist/wildlife viewing, hiking, hunting, fishing, snowshoeing, back country ski touring, Ottawa River boat tours

3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Paddle Sport Outfitters: guided services (canoeing, kayaking, sea-kayaking, etc), rentals, shuttle service to and from waterways

3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Mountain Biking 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Experiential Learning: Aboriginal experiences, astronomical observation/dark skies, bird watching, flora & fauna

4 • Outdoor Recreation, Heritage

• Meeting Conference Market: resort hotel and convention centre 2

Hastings • Minerals & Rocks experiences 4 • Heritage

• Outdoor Recreation experiences 3 • Outdoor Recreation

• Arts & Culture experiences 3 • Arts, Culture

• Accommodations 2

• Agri-Culinary Tourism experiences 2

• Motorsports at Shannonville Motorsport Park 4

• First Nations Experiences 3 • Arts, Culture

• Leveraging the tourism infrastructure in Belleville/Quinte West 2

• IntheimmediatetermconsiderationshouldbegiventofocusmarketingactivitiesonpositioningOntario’s Highlands as the ultimate Ontario destination for its current core attractors with priority giventotheseactivities:

■ Land Based Outdoor Recreation Experiences ■ Water-BasedOutdoorRecreationActivitiesandExperiences ■ Recreation Geology Experiences ■ Arts,CultureandHeritageExperiences

• Considerationshouldbegiventoconductingspecificmarketresearchtodeterminetheneedsandwantsofvisitorswhoareorcouldbeinterestedintheaboverecreationexperiencesasatravelexperi-enceintheverynearfuture

■ ConductresearchintheOttawa,Montreal,GTAmarkets

18

PRTDF RECOMMENDATIONS1. AsaresultofthefindingsandrecommendationsmadethroughtheOntario’sHighlandsPRTDF

process the OHTO Board should facilitate the creation of a region-wide Tourism Destination De-velopmentActionPlan.ThisplanbecomesOHTO’slong-termroadmapforproductandexperiencedevelopment. ■ ThePRTDFhasrevealednumerousopportunities,asdetailedintherecommendationsbelow,thatwouldcontributetoenhancingtheattractivenessofthedestination,aDestinationDevelopmentActionPlanisneededto:

ե RallythecollectivetourismindustryinOntario’sHighlandsaroundaunifiedapproachtodes-tinationdevelopment

ե Prioritizetheregion-wideopportunitiesfromquickwinstolong-termdevelopmentinitiatives ե Establishacontextforsub-regionaldevelopmentthatsupportsprimaryregion-widedevelop-mentinitiatives.Itmustempowersub-regionalDMO’stoleadthedevelopmentprocesswithintheir own destination in partnership with their municipality and tourism industry in order to both enhance the appeal of their destination and the appeal of the region as a whole.

■ OHTO’sBoardtoleadthecreationandimplementationoftheDestinationDevelopmentActionPlan

ե Thisisanindustry-ledprocessthatinvolvescreatinganumberofDestinationDevelopmentTaskTeams,madeupofDMO’s,municipalstaffandindustryrepresentativesdirectlyconnect-edtothespecificsoftherecommendation

ե Considerationshouldbegiventoretainingtheservicesofa3rdpartyconsultanttofacilitatethecreationoftheTourismDestinationDevelopmentActionPlan

2. UsetheupsidetourismdevelopmentopportunitiesrevealedinthePRTDFprocessasarticulatedinthe following recommendations as a reason to encourage tourism stakeholders throughout the re-giontomakeanassessmentoftheirindividualtourismmarketreadiness.Thisprovidesacontextforbusinessownerstoproactivelytakestepstoenhanceorupgradetheirowntourismoffering. ■ DevelopanddeliveraseriesoftourismindustryequippingprogramsthatwillhelpupgradethecalibreoftourismbusinessoperatorswithinOntario’sHighlandsbeginningwiththedeliveryofcomponentsoftheMinistryofTourismandCulture’sTourismInc.TrainingProgramme.Followthis with a series of annual training sessions designed to equip the industry to be the best they can be;sessionstoinclude:

ե TourismInc.TourismBusinessTraining ե Tourism Market Readiness Assessment and Training ե Tourism Partnership and Packaging Training ե TourismHospitality/ServiceTraining ե TourismExperienceandProductDevelopmentTraining

■ Atwo-stepapproachmaybeneeded:firstdeliverorientationsessionsthroughouttheregioninpartnershipwithDMO’stoarticulatethemeritsforregionaldestinationdevelopmentandsecond,engage the broadest spectrum of tourism industry stakeholders and inform and educate them ontheupsideopportunitiesofmakingproactiveupgradesandenhancementstotheirindividualtourism offerings. Opportunities primarily relate to tourism market readiness issues. Market readinesstrainingwillprovideoperatorswithaframeworkinwhichtoassesstheirownbusinessandstrivetoadjusttheirofferingtomeettheneedsofachangingcustomerbase.

19

3. TheOHTOBoardtoinitiatearegion-widedestinationpositioning/brandingprocesstoeitheraf-firmthedestinationname(Ontario’sHighlands)orcreateanewpositioningandbrandingstrategythatincludesanewdestinationname.Theprocessmayincludethedevelopmentofapositioning/branding strategy that clearly explores the merits of a region-wide positioning and brand that sup-ports the family of sub-brands that already exist in the region. For example the strategy should take intoconsiderationtheexistingvaluebrandslikeHaliburtonHighlandsandtheOttawaRiverValleybringtotheperceptionsoftheentireregion.Thepositioning/brandingprocessshouldbecon-ductedincontextofcurrentandfuturemarketingactivitiesthatwillbeimplementedbytheregionandsub-regions.Itmuststrivetoidentifypositioningandbrandingstrategyoptionsthatclearlydif-ferentiatesOntario’sHighlandsfromotherregionswithintheprovinceofOntario.

4. Inordertoclearlyunderstandcurrentserviceandhospitalitydeliverylevelsofthosedirectlyorindirectlylinkedtothetourismexperiencesoffered,aregion-widevisitorsatisfactionsurveymustbeconductedannually.Thesurveywilltrackanynumberofqualityandhospitalityattributesandinitiallybenchmarkservicedeliverylevelsandthenmonitorongoingprogresstowardsenhancingandupgradingservicestandardsthroughouttheentireregion. ■ UtilizetheconnectionsandrelationshipsthatlocalDMO’s,ChambersofCommerceandBusinessImprovementAreashavewithtourismstakeholdersandempowertheseentitieswiththetoolstodeliveranannualvisitorsurvey

■ Follow the example of other tourism jurisdictions such as Hastings County and utilize their processandquestionnaire;PeterboroughKawarthasTourismhasalsodevelopedavisitorsurveyprocess that can be followed

■ Identifyaseriesofcoreserviceperformancemetrics,benchmarkcurrentdeliveryandthen,overtimeandthroughfrontlineservicetrainingimprovetheperformanceofthesekeyserviceandhospitalitymetrics.Thesewouldincluderanking(scale)forthingslike:

ե Receivedawarmandfriendlygreeting/attitude ե Receivedvalueformoney,gettingmorethenwhatwaspaid ե Easeofmakingreservationorbuyingtickets/admission ե Wouldreferfriendstovisitandintention/likelihoodtoreturn ե Rankservicedeliveryforaccommodations,F&B,attractions

5. DevelopstrategiesdesignedandfocusedonextendingthelengthofstayofcurrentandfuturevisitorstoOntario’sHighlands.Emphasisatidentifyingclustersofcomplementaryactivitiesthatwhencombined,presentvisitorswithalonglistofthingstoseeanddoandatthesametimeasafirstoptioncenteredaroundanovernightstayinapaidcommercialaccommodationand/orsec-ondarilythroughvisitingfriends/relatives,asanexample: ■ Wherepossibleleveragethelonglistofannualfestivalsandeventsasthecorereasonforthevisitandcoupleothercoretourismexperienceswithattendanceatthefestivalandevent

■ Workwithfoodandbeverageproviderstoincludeaminimumofone,butideally2mealsintheexperience

20

6. Better understand the seasonal and cottage residents located in Ontario’s Highlands in order to determinehowtobestservethese“uniquetourists”andbegintounderstandbetterwaystoleveragetheirpresenceforthebenefitofthetourismindustrywithintheregion ■ ExplorepartneringwiththeFederationofOntarioCottageAssociations(FOCA)andthespecificcottagesassociationswithinOntario’sHighlandsinordertoconductacottagers’surveytohelpidentifythetourismbehavioursofthesevisitors

7. Createnewand/orenhancedreasonstovisitOntario’sHighlandsbyfocusingattentiononde-velopingthelistofunderdeveloped tourism assets that are located throughout the region and that are connected to the regions current core attractors. Attention should be directed first at those assets that have been identified as current tourism demand generators,specifically: ■ LandBasedOutdoorRecreationActivitiesandExperiences

ե Cycling ե Golf ե Motorsports(ATV,motocross/dirtbikes),snowmobiling ե DownhillSkiing,snowboarding,x-countryskiing,snowshoeing ե OutdoorAdventure(luge,iceclimbing,dogsledding)

■ Water-BasedOutdoorRecreationActivitiesandExperiences ե Paddling(canoe/kayak) ե Sportfishing/angling

■ Recreation Geology Experiences ■ Arts,CultureandHeritageExperiences

ե Festivals&events ■ Rankunderdevelopedassetsgivingprioritytothosethatrepresentthegreatestpotentialtoim-pactvisitationlevelsintheshortestperiodoftime

■ Confirmconclusionsabovebyundertakingmarketresearchthatwillorwillnotvalidatetheidentifiedproductandexperiencedevelopmentideas,andprovidecontextandcontentforthedevelopmentstrategies;oncevalidatedthisbecomesthebasisfortheactionplanofOHTO

■ Directregionalproductdevelopmentresources;humanandfinancial,todevelopthoseproducts,experiencesandopportunitiesdeemedtohavethehighestpotentialforpositivelyimpactingOntario’sHighlandstourismvisitationandrevenuelevels(seerecommendedImplementationProcess,page22)

FOCAisanon-profit,voluntaryorganizationrepresentingover550Ontariocottagers’associa-tionsplusindividualandcorporatesupporters.Forover45years,FOCAhasbeendedicatedtosupportingtheinterestsofOntario’swaterfrontpropertyowners.Thisisaccomplishedbyprovid-ingassistanceandleadershiptoOntario’scottageassociationsandtoourindividualmembers,andthroughadvocatingforthelong-terminterestsofourcommunities.FOCApromotessustainablewaterfrontcommunitiesbyencouragingpositiveenvironmentalstewardship,supportingstrongcommunityleadership,andthroughpromotingfairandequitablepublicpolicy.

21

Land Based Experiences

• Trails• Golf• Camping• Skiing

Water Based Experiences

• Paddling• Fishing• Boating• RideauCanal

Heritage Experiences

• Museums• HistoricalSites• RideauCanal• Attractions• Genealogy• AboriginalExperiences• Festivals&Events

Visual & Performing Arts Experiences

• Theatre• Galleries• Music• Festivals

Recreational GeologyExperiences

• MineTours• RockHounding• Archaeology• Petroglyphs• BonnechereCaves• Gemboree

Festivals & Events

• Community BasedEvents

• SportsEvents

Ontario’s HighlandsTourism Product Clusters

Outdoor Adventure

Arts, Culture, Heritage

Tourism Product Clusters–itisrecommendeddevelopmentworkfocusonthislistoftourismassetsoncethey are prioritized by the OHTO Board

22

PRTDF IMPLEMENTATIONImplementationisajointactivityoftheBoard,DMO’sandtheindustryatlarge.ItisunderstoodthatanorganizationlikeOHTOcannotdevelopthedestinationonitsown.Itisthetourismbusinessownersthatmusttakealeadindestinationdevelopmentandtheimplementationstepsidentifiedinthereportifprogressistobemade.Themunicipalities,ChambersofCommerce,DMO’swithintheregionalsohaveresponsibility to support the efforts of the tourism business owners. Ontario’s Highlands has the oppor-tunity to facilitate the collaboration between tourism business owners and agencies towards destination development.OtherdestinationswhohaveundertakenthePRTDFprocesshaverecognizedimplementa-tionisanindustry-ledprocess.Manyofthosedestinationshaveseentheirindustryrallyaroundcollect-ivedestinationdevelopmentandsteppedupasnecessarytogettheirbusinessandtheirdestinationtothenextlevel.ThatwillbethecaseforOntario’sHighlands.

Implementation in Ontario’s Highlands

ItisrecommendedOHTOputinplaceadestinationdevelopmentimplementationprocessthatisbothefficientandeffective.OHTOrequiresasimpleandstraightforwardprocess.TheOHTOBoardhasal-readyidentifiedandprioritizedthecoreexperiencestheydesiretofocusonthereforeitisrecommendedthefollowingprocessbefollowed:

Product/Experience Task Teams

Identifyindustryrepresentativesthathaveknowledgeandexperienceintheidentifiedexperienceorproductandchargethemwithcreatingdevelopmentstrategiesdesignedtoenhancetheappealandattractivenessofthoseexperiences.Eachtaskteamwillbepopulatedbyindividualswhohavedemon-stratedsubjectexpertiseandawillingnesstoserveontheteamonavolunteerbasisforaperiodof12-18monthsasidentifiedbytheDMO’sandOHTOBoard.

The Mandate of Task Teams:

• WorkingtogethertoexploreopportunitiestoenhancetheattractivenessandappealofidentifiedandqualifiedtourismproductsandexperiencesfoundinOntario’sHighlands,thiswillresultingreaterinterestandultimatevisitationtoOntario’sHighlands

• UtilizingtheinformationlearnedfromtheOHTOPRTDFprocessaswellasotherresearchdevelopspecificproductandexperiencedevelopmentstrategiesthatarequantifiableandmeasurable

• Representasbestaspossibletheinterestsofthetourismindustryandtheirsub-regionalmunicipal-itiesinanyrecommendeddevelopmentstrategies;ideallystrivetoinitiateactivitiesthatimpactallsub-regions within Ontario’s Highlands

• TaskTeamswilltakealeadershiproleencouragingtheindustrytocollectivelycometogethertoim-proveinordertogrowtourismvisitationandrevenuestotheregionaswellasindividualoperators

• AttheoutsetidentifyaseriesofdeliverablesandregularlyreporttotheOHTOBoardonprogress

23

FacilitatedbyOHTOstaffeachTaskTeamwill:• Identifyachairorco-chairstoleadtheworkoftheteam• Attempttopopulatetheteamwithrepresentativesfromallsub-regions,eachteamshouldhavea

minimumof8andmaximumof12members• Meetregularlyeitherinpersonorviaconferencecall(OHTOmaychoosetosupplementmeeting

costs incurred by members)• Focusattentionondevelopingstrategiesthatwillenhancetheattractivenessandappealofthepar-

ticular product or experience• Createahighleveloperationsprocesswithidentifiabledeliverables• BeaccountabletotheOHTOBoardandregularlyreportonprogressandactivities(theChair(s)may

choose to do this through OHTO staff) • Establishfinancialandhumanresourcetargetsthatservetohelpmeetthedeliverables

ThefollowingHastingCountyexampledemonstrateshowaProduct/ExperienceTaskTeamfunctions:

Hastings County Mineral Asset Task Team

TheHastingsCountyPRTDFprocessidentifiedthefollowingrecommendation:

FocusattentionontheunderdevelopedandunderperformingassetsfoundinHastingsCountythroughenhancementstoexistingandcreationofnewexperiencesthatdrivevisitation,amongthem:ThetourismopportunitiesassociatedwiththeMineral&Rockassetsfoundthroughouttheregion.

TheHastingCountyDestinationDevelopmentCommitteeplacedthisrecommendationhighonitslistofdestinationdevelopmentpriorities.Theyappointedaspecificimplementationtaskteamtofocusattentiononthisrecommendation.Thetaskteamcomprisedavarietyofindividuals(volun-teers)whohadbeendirectlyandindirectlyinvolvedinleveragingthemineralsassetexperiencesfrom a geological and tourism standpoint throughout the region. The group met on numerous oc-casions and with the help of a third party facilitator and a County appointed staff resource identi-fiedaseriesofstrategiesthatwouldleadtotherevitalizationofthistourismassetsothatitwouldonceagainbe“tourismmarketready”.Thosestrategiesidentifiedamongotherthingsthestepsnecessaryfortherejuvenationofavarietyofmineralexplorationsitesinordertomakethemat-tractorsforbothhobbygeologistsandthetouristmarket.TheCountystaffresource,inpartnershipwith the Bancroft Chamber staff person prepared a proposal for the RTO 11 Transition Board. The proposalaskedtheRTOtofinanciallysupportitslongtermRocksandMineralstourismdevelop-mentstrategy.OHTObecameanaturalpartnerinenhancingthisunderdevelopedandunderper-formingtourismassetthroughitsinvestmentofhumanandfinancialresources.

24

Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization 9 International Drive, Suite 129 Pembroke, ON K8A 6W5T: 613-629-6486 (1-855-629-OHTO) F: 613-629-6488 www.ohto.ca www.facebook.com/ontarioshighlands www.youtube.com/ontarioshighlands twitter.com/OnHighlands