Regional Municipality of Halton Premier Ranked Tourist Destination

Regional Municipality of Halton Premier Ranked Tourist Destination DRAFT Recommendations Working Group Meeting May 29, 2007

Project Status – May 29 n Industry consultations held n n n March 20 - North April 3 – South Feedback received and incorporated into this presentation Preliminary recommendations presented to Steering Committee April 17 Industry meeting, final validation – May 29 2

Attractors Towns, Countryside, Rural Landscapes n Outdoor Recreation and the Niagara Escarpment n Royal Botanical Gardens n Gaming – Mohawk n Authentic Farm Experiences n Equestrian Experiences n 3

Towns, Countryside, Rural Landscapes n n n The 5 cities/towns of Halton are the core of this experience (Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Georgetown, Acton), charming streetscapes, a variety of shopping, dining, entertainment, and annual festivals provide a yearround guest experience, supplemented by smaller villages that in their own right offer character and diversity. This cluster of experiences is best be appreciated as a drive through picturesque Lake Ontario waterfront towns, rural landscapes and rolling countryside Guests will find numerous locations to stop along the way and find a variety of accommodation options from hotels, motels to B&B’s 4

Outdoor Recreation and Niagara Escarpment n A cluster of experiences that exploit the regions physical attributes, especially the Niagara Escarpment, and involves a vast number of “soft & green” outdoor activities: n Cycling, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, birding, swimming, fishing, boating, cross country/downhill skiing, snow shoeing, rock climbing, golf 5

Royal Botanical Gardens n n Canada’s largest botanical garden and one of the country’s premier cultural, education and scientific institutions. 480, 000 visitors in 2005 n Paid visitors, school groups, conference attendees, trail users 2005 Annual Report n n n 1, 100 hectares of cultivated gardens, indoor plantscapes and natural lands provide a 12 -month wave of colour. The glory of the Arboretum is the Katie Osborne Lilac Garden, the world’s largest living collection of lilacs. In 2006, Halton Region contributed $677, 000 as transitional funding for the RBG this is in addition to funding that the RBG receives annually from Halton Region. 6

Gaming – Mohawk n n n Harness racing, 5, 000 seating capacity 750 slots machines in 20, 000 sq. ft. Racebook for North American race tracks 500, 000+ annual visitation Future development plans include hotel complex and championship golf course 7

Authentic Farm Experiences n Greenhouses, nurseries, pick-your-own, farmer’s markets, farm entertainment n Terra Greenhouses, Van Dongen’s, Sheridan, Tuitman’s n n Activities: gardening seminars, landscape design services, perennial swap, picnic/play area, special events, pumpkin hunt, maze, paddleboats Springridge Farm, Andrews Scenic Acres, Chudleigh’s Farm, Clembrook Christmas Farm, Fish 4 Trout n Activities: school and public farm tours, birthday parties, corporate parties, seasonal events - Easter & Christmas, pony & wagon rides, hayrides, pumpkin patch, picnic/play area, animal corral, fall haunted forest, straw mountain, straw maze, face painting, licensed eating and entertainment areas, pick-your-own, fishing 8

Equestrian Experiences n 22+ year-round facilities providing public access to a wide variety of equestrian experiences n n Riding lessons, summer, day, vacation camps, boarding stables, competitions, shows, training facilities, breeding, lectures, riding trails Most open throughout the year 9

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences n n n Attractors are part of a regional complex linked to the physical setting of the region, the waterfront and Niagara Escarpment Attractors are not unique, are not considered memorable and have some potential to motivate travel York, Durham, Simcoe and Niagara Regions offer similar tourism experiences 10

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences Quality & Critical Mass n The region offers a range of experiences but most sustain interest for less than 24 hours n Product available year-round at varied price points with both mass and niche appeal n Purchasing options are limited outside the region n Range of experiences are widely promoted within the region n On theme activities do exist to encourage overnight stays 11

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences Quality & Critical Mass n There is a wide variety of dining options and several offer wine lists with more than 25 labels and do have accredited chefs n There is a wide variety of shopping options n Dining and shopping options have minimal notoriety beyond the region n A difference exists in product and experiences north to south 12

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences Satisfaction & Value n The reputation for being friendly, hospitable, for providing good service and delivering value for money is not measured 13

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences Access / Location / Transportation n Suitably positioned to capitalize on huge population base, 10. 8 million people within 3 hours n Transportation to the region is excellent n Few transportation options within the region other than personal vehicle n 63 transient boat slips on Lake Ontario as well as a slip for larger cruise ships 14

Product. . . high quality tourist experiences Accommodation n There is a variety of accommodation options at a range of price options – 2740 rooms, 728 RV/camp sites n Well represented with chain hotels/motels and B&B’s n Limited room inventory in the north 15

Performance. . . quality of tourist experience validated by Visitation – 2004 Stats Can n 2. 8 million visitors n 2. 1 million day trip visitors n n n 2. 0 million Ontario, 70, 000 U. S. 740, 000 overnight visitors n n CTS/ITS 509, 000 Ontario, 100, 000 U. S. 62, 000 M&C trips – 2. 2% of Ontario The destination is not getting its share of visitation to or within the province 16

Performance. . . quality of tourist experience validated by Occupancy & Yield - 2005 n 56. 8% average occupancy, below Ontario average of 65% n Visitation highest in Q 4; lowest in Q 1 n Average visitor spending: n n n Day Trips: Overnight: $34. 84 vs. Ont. average ($62. 56) - 1. 6% $154. 35 vs. Ont. average ($270. 27) -. 9% Most travel is made by adults living in Ontario 17

Performance. . . quality of tourist experience validated by Critical Acclaim n Is not a “must-see/must do” destination n Some core attractors have critical acclaim n n n RBG Glen Abbey Sound of Music, Oakville Waterfront festivals 18

Futurity. . . ability to thrive into the future Destination Marketing n There is stable or growing market demand for the destinations offering n This demand is demonstrated in the 2005 TAMS study n n Outdoor recreation Touring 19

Futurity. . . ability to thrive into the future n Several DMO’s in place: n n n Tourism Burlington “Elevate Your Experience” Oakville “Indulge in a Little Oakville” Milton/Campbellville “Escarpment Country” Halton Hills “Head for Our Hills” All don’t have sufficient funding to effectively target potential markets; Burlington, may be the exception 20

Futurity. . . ability to thrive into the future n n n Tourism marketing strategies are in place in most DMO’s but with limited benchmarking / tracking Formal Tourism Development plans are not in place – regionally or locally Little/no customer service training is in place 21

Futurity. . . ability to thrive into the future Product Renewal n n n Significant investment has been made in the past 2 years: $20+ million Commitment to reinvest in programming & infrastructure especially Attractors Limited funding to revitalize under developed & under performing assets n RBG, Country Heritage Park 22

Futurity. . . ability to thrive into the future Managing Within Carrying Capacities n n n Tourism is a net positive contributor to the economy of the region Stable investment and trained labour force is available Prepared to manage water treatment and delivery capacity, sewage treatment and trunk capacity, road, transit, parking and trail capacity and the environmental effects of infrastructure expansions 23

Recommendations n DRAFT – for discussion 24

Recommendations n Initiate an industry lead Halton Tourism Destination Development Strategy facilitated by the Region n Rally the tourism industry Align with Regional & Municipal Strategies and HEDP Develop a series of initiatives designed to grow tourism revenues, focus on… n n Product development associated with anchor attractors Improvements to experience delivery Initiatives that capitalize on the physical setting – Lake Ontario waterfront and the Niagara Escarpment Convert day trippers to overnight guests, growing expenditures 25

Recommendations n Clearly Define Roles & Responsibilities… Who does what? n Region, Chamber’s, DMO’s, Eco. Dev. Depts. , BIA’s n n n Region – focus on future destination development and the enhancement of experience delivery DMO’s, Chambers, BIA’s Eco. Dev. Depts. – “collective” focus on collaboration, experience development, packaging, marketing Establish the industry-lead Halton Region Tourism Alliance 26

Recommendations n n Explore possibilities of a co-ordinated DMF strategy Becomes a role of the Halton Region Tourism Alliance to establish parameters and a formula 27

Recommendations n Introduce a Tourism Awareness Campaign to reinforce importance of tourism…target: n Local government – get on the municipal agenda n n Owner/operators – focus on dining & retail n n Use IDO “Making the Case For Tourism” tool kit Reinforce that they ARE in the tourism business Local influencers, resident groups, service clubs n Use unpaid media strategy 28

Recommendations n Create a Sports Tourism Task Force n Explore the opportunities (if any) associated with the development of a regional sports tourism strategy n n Burlington can take the lead based on their experience Understand current venues and facilities and their capacities Dialogue with local sport organizations and neighbouring communities Secure “frequent” rotation for the Canadian Open Golf Championship 29

Recommendations n Identify and prioritize underdeveloped and underperforming assets and develop specific strategies to fully exploit these assets, for example: n Event development – n n n Enhance existing, add new ones in shoulder season Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Country Heritage Park Equestrian experiences IKEA The Bruce Trail and other trails 36+ 30

Recommendations n Anything else? 31

Next Steps n n n Deadline for additional comments from Industry Final Report Regional Council June 6 Mid June July 11 32