RTO 9 is pleased to announce that we have awarded over 15 tourism operators with funding to support projects from across the region from now until September 5th, 2022. The Partnership Fund program is an initiative designed with the intent to make the South Eastern Ontario region a premiere travel destination.

The project categories for this year’s applications included New or Enhanced Tourism Product/Experience, Digitizing Your Tourism Business, and Signage.

The following is the list of the successful recipients from our first intake period.

Brockville

Aquatarium

Funding assistance to include Thomas Tugboat at the Tall Ships Festival.

1000 Islands Rideau Waterways

Furnace Falls Farm

New signage to increase wayfinding and visibility.

Green Gables Vines Winery

New signage to increase visibility.

JDW Custom Farming

New signage to increase visibility.

Westport Market

New signage to increase wayfinding.

Le Boat Limited

Funding assistance for website & content upgrades.

Voyageur Music School

Funding assistance for their event, ‘Kemptville Street Piano Concert Series.’

Wildling Acres

New signage to increase visibility.

SDG Counties

Springfield Organic Farm

Funding assistance for their new Disc Golf Course.

Stonehouse Vineyard

Funding assistance for their event, ‘A Glengarry Affair.’

Kingston

ArtFest Ontario- Kingston Artfest

Funding assistance for their event, ‘Kingston Artfest.’

Prince Edward County

Kinsip House of Fine Spirits

Funding assistance for their event, ‘County Noir.’

Naval Marine Archive The Canadian Collection

Funding assistance for website content and social media.

Lakecroft

New signage to increase visibility.

Lennox & Addington

MacKinnon Brothers Brewing

New signage to increase wayfinding and visibility.

1000 Islands Gananoque

Rockport Boat Lines

New signage to increase wayfinding.

Spitfire

Funding assistance for their event, ‘Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly Weekend.’

Watermark Cottages

Funding assistance for website & content upgrades.

To provide additional time for planning of projects later in the year, a second application intake period will be available in mid-summer for projects occurring between September 6, 2022-March 31, 2023.  Our next intake for applications will open on July 5 – July 25, 2022. Learn more about our Partnership Funding Program here. If you have further questions, you are encouraged to contact Lori McIsaac, Director of Experiential Tourism Development at lmcisaac@region9tourism.ca.

About RTO 9

RTO 9 is a regional tourism organization established in 2010 that is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries. RTO 9 actively promotes tourism for the South Eastern Ontario region and works to support and grow the tourism industry through marketing, product development, investment attraction, and workforce development initiatives. The regions of South Eastern Ontario are 1000 Islands Gananoque, Bay of Quinte, Brockville, Cornwall and Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry Counties, Frontenac County, Kingston, Lennox and Addington, Prince Edward County and the 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Waterways.

(Kingston, Ontario)- May 4, 2022 – Cyclists can find over 1,550 Ontario businesses certified as bicycle-friendly by Ontario By Bike across the province and they are all ready to roll out a warm welcome to cycle enthusiasts.

Just announced and showcased this year are the 23 award-winning businesses that have all gone above and beyond, offering extra services and amenities to cyclists stopping at their locations. The awards are presented by Ontario By Bike, whose certification program has criteria that helps ensure cyclists are welcomed at businesses they choose to stop at whether it be as a cycle tourist, on a longer trip, or while biking closer to home. The Network is free for businesses to participate in and the information on each location plus cycling trails and road routes in each region is easily accessible online.

Businesses will be featured in the popular monthly e-newsletter that is issued by Ontario By Bike and avidly read by over 16,200 cyclists. Additionally, cyclists can find info on bike routes, itineraries, and all certified bicycle-friendly businesses at www.ontariobybike.ca, rated the most used website for ideas to plan cycling outings and routes in Ontario. Paired with the annual Cycling in Ontario / Le vélo en Ontario magazine cyclists have all the resources they need to get rolling.

2022 Ontario By Bike Bicycle Friendly Business Award Winners in South Eastern Ontario – RTO 9: We would like to congratulate the two award-winning businesses in South Eastern Ontario.

Best Business: Russell Manor Bed & Breakfast – Morrisburg

“We have never had a cyclist stay that we didn’t like! As former cyclists, we know how important it is to be comfortable in your surroundings. We offer that comfort to all our guests, but most especially to our cycling guests!” Ron Currie, Russell Manor Bed & Breakfast – Morrisburg.

Bike Businesses: Bicycle World – Cornwall

Additional winners across Ontario can be found here. www.ontariobybike.ca/2022awardwinners

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Learn more about Ontario By Bike™

Ontario By Bike™ works with a variety of partners to develop and promote cycling and cycle tourism across Ontario. Administering a Network of over 1,550 certified bicycle-friendly businesses and providing a comprehensive portal of information, Ontario By Bike is inspiring visitors and residents to explore more of the province by bike. Ontario By Bike is a program of Transportation Options, a non-profit organization, celebrating 30 years of innovative programming, dedicated to fostering sustainable transportation and tourism solutions in Ontario.

• Ontario By Bike – www.ontariobybike.ca
• Transportation Options – www.transportationoptions.org
• Cycle tourism stats and facts including the Ontario Cycle Tourism and Cycling Activity Report 2021/2022 – www.transportationoptions.org/ontarioresearch
• 2022 Cycling in Ontario / Le velo en Ontario guide – www.ontariobybike.ca/2022

We are excited to share the collective accomplishments we have made for Q4 (January 1st – March 31st, 2021).

Campaigns

Earned & Paid Media

Rail + Roam

Earned Media Snapshot

Total Stories: 91
Print: 1
TV Segments: 1
Online: 90
Newsletter: 0
Radio: 0

Total Media Impressions for March 2022: 43,349,424
Total Cumulative Impressions Since the Beginning of the Campaign in 2022: 118,722,620

Owned & Paid Media for South Eastern Ontario

Total Reach: 1,840,490 (+124% YoY)
Total Engagement: 155,464 (+67% YoY)
Total User Visits: 62,436 (-33% YoY)
Total Page Views: 92,683 (-37% YoY)
Total Events (direct links to tourism operators’ websites): 32,296

Top Website Content
Bucket List: 25 Restaurants You Need To Try In Prince Edward County (4,562 Page Views)
Bucket List: 24 Restaurants You Need To Try In Kingston (4,433 Page Views)
6 Things To Do On A Winter Weekend In Prince Edward County (4,010 Page Views)
A Guide to Ice Fishing in the Bay of Quinte (3,380 Page Views)
25 Unique Places To Stay In South Eastern Ontario (2,839 Page Views)

View our Fiscal Year Report

2021 -2022 Fiscal Year Report for owned & paid media for South Eastern Ontario

Future Initiatives

RTO 9 is collaborating with Destination Ontario in our spring/summer-themed spotlight campaign; 2022 Cruise Campaign. This co-marketing system leverages aligned partner planning content/storytelling to inspire travel and direct-to-operator tactics to connect the consumer with buyable experiences in our region. This will be accomplished via a $50,000 media buy, funded through a $20,000 partner investment from RTO 9 + a $30,000 Destination Ontario investment.

Additionally, RTO 9 has been approved for 2 additional campaigns in partnership with Destination Ontario. We will be developing and implementing a Theatre Campaign in late summer as well as a Winter Packages campaign featuring bookable overnight packages in South Eastern Ontario through Landsby.ca.

RTO 9 will be working with their tourism partners/ Digital Marketing committee members on developing a content calendar for the consumer brand, South Eastern Ontario. This includes Blogs, Campaigns & Giveaways.

RTO 9 provides regional leadership and coordination for tourism in South Eastern Ontario. We are fiercely working on your behalf to grow all aspects of tourism to attract more visitors, increase revenues, and generate economic activity such as investment and job creation. Connect with a team member who can assist you in your tourism initiatives.

In late 2021, RTO 9 partnered with VIA Rail and Canadian tourism company Landsby to help stimulate economic growth in the region by encouraging local Winter travel.

The result was the successful and ongoing Rail + Roam campaign, which offers travellers discounted train tickets and exclusive itineraries in South Eastern Ontario.

Landsby worked with multiple industry partners across all RTO 9 regions to create exclusive itineraries that would excite Canadians. To learn more about Landsby, we’ve invited founder & CEO Jason Sarracini to tell us about his company and how you can get started working with Landsby to grow your tourism and hospitality business. 

What is Landsby?

“I launched Landsby in the spring of 2021 because I saw a desire among Canadians for meaningful and authentic travel within our own country.  

Years ago, I met with the Destination Canada team and I was introduced to the Canadian Signature Experience portfolio. These are unique, owner-operated experiences that highlight the best of Canada and the pandemic presented the opportunity to create more of these experiences in South Eastern Ontario and across Canada.

Canada is often marketed to international travellers, which is great, but we wanted to capture the imagination of the Canadian traveller by curating immersive and unique itineraries that highlighted interesting places to see from coast to coast to coast. 

The response has been phenomenal! Every day we hear from Canadians who are interested to discover more about Canada’s amazing people and places. Now more than ever, Canadians want to support our local businesses and aid in our collective healing and growth through domestic travel.

Our wonderful partnership with RTO 9 and VIA Rail allowed us to create great itineraries in South Eastern Ontario and we are always looking for more partners in the region. Landsby is also working with Destination Ontario and Destination Canada to create even more opportunities to grow this country’s domestic travel market.

Why work with Landsby?

“Building strong and mutually beneficial partnerships is at the heart of what we do at Landsby. We want our partners to be successful and we know that we are stronger as an industry by working together. 

Landsby is a division of OST.travel, a Canadian travel company founded in 1967 by the Sarracini family. We have a database of loyal customers that typically travel internationally and there is an opportunity to capture that spend, domestically.

Landsby also offers you increased exposure and revenue to your business through our targeted advertising, partnerships, creative initiatives, and our website traffic.”

How can a business get started working with Landsby?

“There are three ways you can work with Landsby to grow your tourism and hospitality business.

1. We have just launched a Community Subscription Program. For $10 per month or $100 per year, you will be able to create a “card” for our website to showcase your business. The CTA on the card will be a straight clickthrough to your website (or a link of your choosing i.e booking engine, Facebook page).

There is no other work on your part — you create the card and let our targeted marketing lead customers to your business. Your card will be placed amongst our itinerary offerings for your specific province and location. This program is a unique and exclusive low-cost option for all types of hospitality businesses, from galleries to spas, and kayak providers to local eateries. Claim your business here.

2. List with us! If you operate a vacation rental, you can place your business in our stays category. We will help you craft your listing and give your business exposure through our various channels. The sign-up link is located at the bottom of our site.

3. Partner with us on an exclusive itinerary. We love creating itineraries that give Canadians a fun adventure, an authentic experience or a restorative getaway. Connect with us regarding your business and we will work with you to create a product offering that is unique and meets the needs of Canadian travellers.  We would love to hear from you. Please don’t hesitate to send us an email at rto9@landsby.ca.”

Don’t forget to subscribe to the Landsby Journal for exciting stories, interesting experiences, and a ton of Canadian travel inspiration!

RTO 9 has been collaborating with the Kingston Film Office on a Regional Expansion & Support study that encompasses surrounding regions from Belleville to Cornwall. This includes assessing and inventorying current resources and processes in an effort to streamline, organize, and potentially promote participating regions to industry together for collective benefit.

The Kingston Film Office is a division of Tourism Kingston supported by the City of Kingston, designed to attract and support film and television production within the greater Kingston area.

Alex Jansen, Film Commissioner Kingston Film Office, Tourism Kingston, has provided us with an update on these initiatives:

This past summer, the Kingston Film Office executed Phase 1 of the RTO9 funded Regional Expansion & Support Study, with a primary focus on connecting with and supporting local regions and inventorying local assets. More than 100 potential filming locations were photographed across the 9 DMOs that comprise RTO9, while the Film Office consulted directly with regions on the best ways to support and service film inquiries.

These efforts have already netted and seen the Kingston Film Office help service multiple serious production inquiries, including; supporting a music video production in Gananoque; scouting for a Disney Plus series in Napanee; serious feature film interest in shooting at both the Railway Tunnel in Brockville and St. Raphael’s Ruins in Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Counties, as well as partnering with the Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque, and; supporting a Canada Council funded short film on Amherst Island. All this, while a majority of the new locations photography is still being loaded onto the Provincial Locations Library.

Meanwhile, the Kingston Film Office fully supported the production of the low-budget feature film “Verona”, which was shot entirely in the neighbouring Frontenac region.  The local community was involved at all levels, including locations, suppliers, crew, and trainees, and this served as an ideal case study for future local end-to-end production.

The Kingston Film Office is already courting interest from three further feature films interested in shooting end-to-end entirely in the larger region and is supporting local-producer J Joly on a Hyper-Local Screen-Based Content Action Plan with partners Kingston EcDev, Frontenac Business Solutions, Upper Canada Equity Fund, and Ontario Creates.

Both initiatives complement the creation of a proposed $25,000,000 South Eastern Ontario Production Accelerator Fund (SEOPAF) for the broader region, which is currently being lobbied by the provincial government with support from a dozen area MPPs. The Kingston Film Office will continue to support the surrounding regions and will be having follow-up discussions with the various DMOs and municipalities surrounding processes and next steps.

Sign up for the Kingston Film Office newsletter at www.filminkingston.ca or contact film@tourismkingston.com with any inquiries.