Nov. 8, 2017, Niagara Falls—The best of the best in Ontario tourism were celebrated at the annual Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence Gala on Tuesday, Nov. 7th at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls. The Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence recognize tourism industry successes by honouring organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to tourism in the province.
Jointly presented by Attractions Ontario, the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA), the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC), and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence are divided into four respective categories:
Ontario’s Choice Awards calls upon tourists and locals to vote for their favourite attractions in eight different categories; the overall top-voted attraction is named Attraction of the Year.
The Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence celebrate the people and places across the province committed to building Ontario’s food identity, and showcasing the best of its food culture.
The Tourism Marketing and Travel Media Awards of Excellence recognize those who contribute to Ontario’s tourism industry through impactful partnerships, marketing activities and media relations.
The Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence are presented to organizations, businesses and individuals that represent the quality of outstanding offerings that make Ontario a destination of choice.
Congratulations to the winners! Your dedication to outstanding service is what makes Ontario a place to discover for travellers around the world. Thank you for your generous and diverse contributions to our industry.
2017 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence Winners
Ontario’s Choice Award for Attraction of the Year
Top Attraction Science North
Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence
Culinary Tourism Leadership Award Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism
Culinary Tourism Experience Award BMVA: The Apple Trail
Culinary Tourism Event of the Year Award Cultivate: A Festival of Food & Drink
Tourism Marketing & Travel Media Awards of Excellence
Tourism Marketing Campaign Award Under $50K Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism
Tourism Marketing Campaign Award Over $50K Kingston Accommodation Partners
Tourism Marketing Partnership Award Tourism Toronto and Air Canada
Tourism Print Collateral Award Tourism Toronto
Tourism Digital Marketing Award Kingston Accommodation Partners
Travel Media Story Award Colleen Friesen
Travel Media Photography Award George Fischer
Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence (TIAO)
Accessible Tourism Award Stratford Shakespearean Festival of Canada
Sustainable Tourism Award Yours Outdoors
Tourism Employer of the Year Caesars Windsor
Tourism Champion of the Year Adriano Ciotoli
Tourism Innovator of the Year Escape Manor & Diefenbunker Museum — Escape the Diefenbunker
Tourism Event of the Year 2016 World Cup of Hockey
Lifetime Achievement Award Guy Laflamme
For more information on award recipients, please see the attached backgrounder.
Quotes
“The Ontario Tourism Awards celebrate our dynamic industry’s vision and innovation. Each winner’s contributions bolsters our local economics by welcoming more visitors who are drawn by Ontario’s exciting attractions, unique festivals and delicious local fare. This includes Science North – an agency of my ministry – named by tourists as Ontario’s attraction of the year. Congratulations to all award recipients and thank you for your commitment to making Ontario a world-class tourism destination!”
Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport
“Celebrating excellence is a major part of the Ontario Tourism Summit, and we’re very proud to congratulate each winner on their individual achievements. Thank you for sharing your amazing experiences, marketing campaigns, business initiatives and leadership with Ontario and the world!”
Beth Potter, President & CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)
“Ontario’s Choice Awards recipients are voted on by consumers and visitors to Ontario. We had a significant number of votes cast this year, and every attraction that was voted for deserves accolades. Finalists for the Attraction of the Year Award feature two small attractions, in addition to an attraction from Northern Ontario—this is a testament that any attraction, big or small, can achieve this honour. Big congratulations to Science North on this accomplishment.”
Troy Young, CEO, Attractions Ontario
“All of the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence recipients exemplify the immense breadth of tourism experiences Ontario has to share with visitors. It's exciting to see so many immersive food experiences on the docket this year! Congratulations to all of the finalists and winners that contributed to Ontario’s tourism success.”
Rebecca Mackenzie, President & CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA)
“Congratulations to all of the 2017 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence winners. The dedication and inspiration that Ontario’s tourism stakeholders provide to our tourism visitors within Ontario, Canada and around the world is what makes Ontario a truly remarkable destination. OTMPC is pleased to be a part of recognizing and celebrating the achievements of the industry.”
Lisa LaVecchia, President & CEO, Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corporation (OTMPC)