Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence

FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence and Tourism Marketing and Travel Media Awards of Excellence

Toronto, Sept. 18, 2019— The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) is excited to announce finalists for the Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence and the Tourism Marketing and Travel Media Awards of Excellence. Selected by independent committees of industry representatives, finalists for these awards showcase Ontario’s best tourism events, innovations, marketing campaigns, partnerships and more.

Award winners will be announced on October 30 at the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence gala evening. Hosted at Blue Mountain Village Inn & Conference Centre as part of the 2019 Ontario Tourism Summit, supporters and conference delegates are invited to join in recognizing the achievements of this year’s exceptional group of finalists and congratulate recipients at an official gala celebration.

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!

TOURISM INDUSTRY AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE WINNERS

Backgrounder:

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.

• 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.
• 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.

Tickets to the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence gala dinner and registrations for the 2019 Ontario Tourism Summit can be purchased at www.ontariotourismsummit.com.

Contact:

Haddas Lederman

Communications Coordinator

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)

647-691-4170

hlederman@tiaontario.ca

May 24, 2019, Toronto— The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) unveiled its Board of Directors for 2019-2020. Three new directors were elected: Anne-Marie Forcier, Manager City-College Opportunities Office, St. Lawrence College; Kevin Eshkawkogan, CEO, Indigenous Tourism Ontario; and Noel Buckley, President & General Manager, Scotiabank Convention Centre.

TIAO’s new board members not only bring a multilingual and Indigenous perspective, but an in-depth understanding of the meeting and convention industry. TIAO welcomes its new directors with great pride and looks forward to continuing to deliver on its mandate to advocate the importance of tourism in order to serve the interests of Ontario’s diverse tourism industry and business community.

On behalf of its staff and membership, TIAO thanks its outgoing board members for their outstanding work and contributions to both the organization and tourism in Ontario. Directors stepping down from the board are: Heather Ford, Owner, Green Acres Inn; and Kathrine Christensen, Executive Director, 1000 Islands Accommodation Partners.

TIAO also congratulates its Board of Directors’ Executive Committee on their new or reprised roles. The complete Board of Directors comprises the following:

Under the leadership of its board of dedicated industry professionals, TIAO will continue to fight for favourable public policy and forge ahead in its quest to create a stronger tourism industry that is poised for continued growth and prosperity.

The Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport has committed to releasing a new tourism strategy for Ontario and has indicated that his plan is to double tourism’s contribution to GDP in the years ahead. This is an ambitious goal, and TIAO and its Board of Directors are committed to working with the Minister and Destination Ontario officials to achieve this goal. TIAO will continue to offer its expertise to work with the government in the development of this strategy. “As the voice of Ontario’s tourism industry, it is critical that TIAO has a seat at the table to voice the concerns and proposed solutions on behalf of the industry,” explains Minto Schneider, TIAO’s new Chair.

“As engaged as we need to be in the development of the new strategy, TIAO will not stand idle while harmful budget cuts, especially in areas of front-line marketing, are rolled out,” Schneider continued. “TIAO continues to work on issues identified by our membership as priorities, including the labour gap, housing, and transportation issues, to name a few.”

Tourism contributes more than $5 billion annually in tax revenues for the government of Ontario, and there is an abundance of solid empirical evidence to back it up – tourism is a growth sector, not just in Ontario and Canada, but globally. There is an opportunity for Ontario to capitalize on this growth and reap the financial benefits, but Ontario needs a supportive government and policy environment to realize this. Provincial tourism budget cuts are not the end of our advocacy efforts, but rather the ramping up of our vigorous work to fight for our industry.

About TIAO

TIAO is recognized as the umbrella advocacy organization for leading associations, destination marketing organizations, regional tourism organizations, educators and businesses serving Ontario’s diverse tourism industry. Collectively representing 188,000 businesses and 391,000 employees, TIAO has a mandate to ensure the development of favourable public policy at the provincial level. In order to achieve this, TIAO applies a diversity of tactics that include lobbying on specific policy files on behalf of our membership, conducting comprehensive research on pressing policy issues, advocating for solutions that propel the tourism industry forward, and connecting tourism leaders, innovators, government, and educators through events and conferences.

Contact:

Haddas Lederman

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)

(647) 691-4170

hlederman@tiaontario.ca

Unlocking the Growth Potential of Ontario's Powerful Tourism Industry

Mar. 6, 2019, Toronto— Today, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), is hosting its annual lobby event: Tourism Day at Queen’s Park. Exclusive to TIAO Members, this event allows tourism industry leaders and stakeholders valuable face-time with MPPs, Ministers, and other government officials and staff.

With the total economic contribution of tourism being larger than agriculture, forestry, and mining combined, the meetings that TIAO and its members will have with the provincial government will allow them to express the vital importance of the tourism industry to Ontario’s economy. Beyond just representing $34.1 billion in annual receipts and 4.3 per cent of the provincial GDP, tourism contributes more than $5 billion annually in tax revenues for the provincial government. Every $1 million spent by visitors in Ontario generates 13 new jobs and $604,800 in wages and salaries - tourism benefits the economy.

Not only is tourism a growth market, it is one of the world’s fastest-growing industries. In Ontario, tourism is projected to generate more than $31 billion in visitor spending in 2019. However, without positive policy-making, increased investment and a reliable labour pool, Ontario’s tourism industry cannot be positioned for success. TIAO recognizes the support for our industry through recent announcements such as the continuation of the Celebrate Ontario Fund for 2019. However, we are leaving money on the table by not attracting the potential number of visitors to our province – thus we are calling on the provincial government to continue to invest in destination marketing and development programs through Destination Ontario, Regional Tourism Organizations, the Tourism Development Fund, and the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.

The tourism industry must also address the growing acute labour shortage. In order to provide the outstanding guest experience that all visitors to Ontario have come to expect, we need to close the labour gap. Tourism matters in Ontario – TIAO not only looks forward to today’s meetings but is also prepared for direct consultations with the government to develop a new Ontario Tourism Strategy and drive prosperity and growth for the tourism industry.

See here for the full set of recommendations shared by TIAO members today.

About TIAO

TIAO is recognized as the umbrella advocacy organization for leading associations, destination marketing organizations, regional tourism organizations, educators and businesses serving Ontario’s diverse tourism industry. Collectively representing 188,000 businesses and 391,000 employees, TIAO provides a strong and unified voice for the sector and is committed contributing to evidenced-based policy and providing strategic insight on how to create favourable public policy that allows the tourism industry to flourish.

Media Contact:

Haddas Lederman

Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)

(647) 691-4170

hlederman@tiaontario.ca