Tourism Week is an annual event created to celebrate the tourism sector’s contribution to the Canadian economy.
According to the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, tourism is a $90 billion industry in Canada that generates 1.7 million jobs. Like many regions across the country, Chatham-Kent has benefited significantly from the tourism industry – in 2012, over 1.2 million visitors passed through the municipality, contributing close to $68 million to the local economy.
This year, Tourism Week takes place between May 29 – June 4. On the evening of May 31, tourism stakeholders in Chatham-Kent and Chatham-Kent Tourism Services gathered at Uncle Tom’s Cabin for a local celebration of Tourism Week.
The event provided tourism stakeholders and small business owners from across the municipality with an opportunity to network and participate in a brochure swap. Representatives from Chatham-Kent Tourism Services and the Tourism Stakeholders Advisory Council, as well as Councillor Darrin Canniff, acknowledged the importance of the tourism sector to the local economy and expressed their hopes for a successful tourism season in 2016.
Tourism Week is also being used by Chatham-Kent Tourism Services to reach out to local stakeholders. In 2015, the Chatham-Kent Tourism Destination Management Plan (TDMP) was commissioned by the Municipality of Chatham-Kent to provide a framework for the development and management of local tourism assets and resources. Among its many recommendations, the TDMP identified industry equipping as an effective way to enhance the overall tourism appeal of Chatham-Kent.
Suggested industry equipping measures included marketing and social media workshops, online webinars, and workforce development training.
To help local businesses and organizations reach their full potential, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent intends to provide the tourism community with a variety of training and professional development opportunities. However, in order to create an industry equipping and workforce development plan that meets the needs of local stakeholders, Chatham-Kent Tourism Services needs to hear from its tourism partners.
This Tourism Week, Chatham-Kent Tourism Services is inviting anyone with an interest in the local tourism industry to participate in an online industry equipping survey. The survey, which will take less than 10 minutes to complete, will help Chatham-Kent Tourism Services determine how the Municipality can best encourage and support individual success, while building a stronger and more well-rounded tourism industry in Chatham-Kent.
The survey will be open to respondents until June 24 and can be accessed through this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/cktourism.
Are you a small business owner who relies on seasonal business from out-of-town visitors? Would you like to attract more tourists to your restaurant or shop? Are you part of an organization or association that works to promote Chatham-Kent as a tourist destination? If so, Chatham-Kent Tourism Services wants to hear from you!
