SAULT STE. MARIE—Each year the major tourism stakeholders in Northern Ontario gather in Sault Ste. Marie for the Northern Ontario Tourism Summit. This year, there was a strong focus on developing tourism product across the North and a number of working committees were set up to tackle encouraging product development in several key sectors.
Those sectors included: angling; nature and adventure; automobile and RV touring; urban communities and gateways; cycling; cultural (Group of Seven); international markets; snowmobiling and wayfinding.
Mindemoya’s Maja Mielonen, a local cycling advocate and spokesperson for Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates, was “delighted” at the recognition that has finally been provided to cycling as a major driver of tourism for Northern Ontario.
“I was very excited to be invited to the summit,” she said, and noted that she had applied to be part of the “group for cycling.”
The North has seen the development of many key cycling routes, noted Ms. Mielonen, pointing out that hopes are the routes will extend into the Ottawa Valley.
“I am just really happy that cycling entered into the consciousness (of the summit organizers),” she said, pointing out that until now, the focus has been on motorized sports such as motorcycles. The expansion into non-motorized sport has vindicated the potential from cycling that MICA has been advocating since its inception. “It is positive that they see the trends towards cycling,” she said.
MICA has been working on creating tourism packages that would appeal to various segments of the cycling tourism market. Among some of the ideas they are working on are vineyard tours and combining boating and accommodation packages that match up with the Island’s outstanding cycling routes.
Although there is a lot of work involved in putting together tourism packages, the potential benefit for all of the partners involved can be substantial, particularly if the partnerships can leverage the marketing potential of larger organizations such as Tourism Northern Ontario and the Owen Sound Transportation Company, operators of the Chi-Cheemaun ferry.
“The key is that everyone has to be on the same page and consistent in the product they are offering,” she said.
At this time the concept is to concentrate the package offerings on the shoulder seasons, the last two weeks in June and the first two weeks in September. “We don’t need more in the July and August summer season,” pointed out Ms. Mielonen. The plan is to work on having the packages in place for the 2017 season. “Everyone is already making their plans for the 2016 season and marketing them at the conferences,” she pointed out, adding that it is important to have the product packaged right.
The TNO Tourism Summit also included workshops designed to meet the needs of tourism operators such as networking and information sharing opportunities, keynote presentations by industry experts, a gala celebration, true Northern hospitality and a tourism trade show.
