Three finalists who made winning pitches for the second round of the Chatham-Kent ‘Spark’ Program were each awarded a $3,000 grant and a three-month mentorship to help take their new tourism ideas to the next level of development.
The 2021 Chatham-Kent ‘Spark’ Program winners are:
– Bria Atkins, The Crappie Store (Riverside Cabins on the Sydenham)
– Kelsey Nydam, Downtown Wallaceburg BIA (Wallaceburg Kayak Experience)
– Paul Spence (On Farm Wood Fired Kitchen and Experiences)
“We are so excited to congratulate the three applicants who emerged as winners in this year’s Spark program,” said Shannon Paiva, supervisor of tourism development with community attraction and promotion, in a media release.
“We look forward to seeing their tourism ideas come to fruition and helping with those plans. In our eyes though, tourism in Chatham-Kent is the real winner here. We have 14 new ideas we can foster and we look forward to following up with all who took the time to take part in this process.”
The ‘Spark’ Mentorships and Grants Program is a partnership between the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab, Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation, the Municipality’s Community Attraction and Promotion and Economic Development divisions, Community Futures Chatham Kent, SOAR Innovation and WEtech Alliance, Municipal officials say.
Funding support was also provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.
The Spark Program goal is to find, foster and support new tourism ideas, experiences and partnerships that will enhance current offerings, address gaps or challenges, motivate travel and longer stays, and increase year-round visits in the region, Municipal officials say.
14 applications were received from across Chatham-Kent, with the top five being invited to present their new tourism idea at a virtual Pitch Session held on March 30.
A judge panel of partner representatives and a tourism innovator from outside the region selected the three winning applicants.
In addition to a source of start-up funds and mentorship, selected applicants gain access to a network of tourism innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders across the province. All five finalists also received in-kind vouchers to the SOAR Innovation campus in Chatham.
“We congratulate the three winners of the second round Chatham-Kent ‘Spark’ Program, and are excited to work with them to help develop new and exciting tourism initiatives in the region,” said Justin Lafontaine, program lead for the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab, in a media release.
Innovation in the tourism industry is critical for the region to respond, adapt and recover from the significant impacts and evolving travel landscape as a result of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis, Municipal officials say.
For more information visit www.tourisminnovation.ca/ChathamKent.
