RTO 9 works closely with tourism-related business owners across South Eastern Ontario in the development and promotion of visitation to the region. The organization works closely with destination marketing organizations, destination marketing programs, municipalities, counties, and independent business owners to explore strategic projects and programs to support and grow tourism.

This welcome kit is intended to introduce the role, support and partnership opportunities that RTO 9 provides to all those engaged in tourism in South Eastern Ontario.

• Who We Are
• The Tourism Funnel
• What We Do
• Why Get Involved

We look forward to the opportunity of working with you to help grow tourism in South Eastern Ontario.

View our Welcome Kit

We are excited to share the collective accomplishments we have made for Q2 (July 1st-September 30th 2021).

Campaigns

Owned & Paid Media

RTO 9’s Digital Marketing Support Program provided six Digital Marketing members (from Destination Marketing Organizations & Tourism Offices in South Eastern Ontario) the opportunity to partner with RTO 9 on digital marketing tactics such as Facebook Ads, Blog creation, and Giveaways. This content was managed and paid for by RTO 9. On our Facebook channel, we featured Facebook Ads on behalf of the following destinations: 1000 Islands Tourism, County of Frontenac, Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board, SDG Tourism, Cornwall Tourism, and ‘What’s on Westport.’ Our ‘Storytelling Campaigns’ featured Cornwall, Frontenac County, SDG, and the Bay of Quinte. The content featured on these campaigns included a blog, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, and a giveaway.

Earned & Paid Media

RTO 9 participated in the Great Taste of Ontario (GTOO); a provincial recovery program involving +90 partners (including DMOs, RTOs, Sector Organizations, media, and charities). The program was designed to encourage Ontarians to rediscover the province and boost regional economies by increasing tourism visits. Its success was dependent on a unique mix of destination development, market readiness training, procurement tracking and strategic marketing partnerships. The program began with a series of training modules for destinations and businesses to adhere to safe travel protocols; meet visitor expectations in the re-opened tourism space; increase collaboration between the agriculture and hospitality sector and finally, inform business operators on how to communicate to appeal to the ‘food connected consumer’. This training coincides with a strategic, collaborative marketing campaign entitled ‘The Great Taste of Ontario’. The Great Taste of Ontario (GTOO) campaign was centered around a collection of hyper-local passports that inspire Ontario residents to first (re)discover their home region and then, when safe to do so, travel around the province. Downloadable passports were created per region/destination. The following is a list of participating regions in South Eastern Ontario and the number of passport downloads that have occurred. 

RTO 9 was able to host 9 Familiarization Tours to the region. In Q4 of 2020-2021, TartanBond and RTO 9 participated in the International Media Marketplace (IMM) virtually where both representatives met with a total of 48 media personalities. It was through these contacts that connections were made and invitations were sent to media to participate in this year’s FAM tours to the region. A media kit was developed in both official languages for IMM and it has subsequently been used to help tell South Eastern Ontario’s stories. The following is a list of the FAM Tours and media personalities that were brought into the region. 

Maryam Siddiqi
Outlet: The Globe and Mail
Story Angle: A lifestyle, culinary piece about a getaway to Kingston and Frontenac County. 
Location: Kingston, Frontenac County

Andrea Traynor
Outlet: Mommy Gearest Blog , Toronto Star story
Story Angle: Vacation on the Rideau Canal with Le Boat
Location: Rideau Canal, Kingston, 

Donald Duench
Outlets: Toronto Sun/ Post Media
Story Angle: 1000 Islands, boating, fishing, etc. Gananoque area that can be enjoyed year-round — parks, nature, restaurants, shopping, museums, etc.
Location: Gananoque 1000 Islands

Diana Ballon
Outlets: Vacay.ca, Travel Life
Story Angle: Small towns in South Eastern Ontario, hidden gems, unique experiences. 
Location: Cornwall, Brockville, Newboro, Westport, Chaffey’s Lock

Adam Waxman
Outlets: Dine Magazine
Story Angle: Food and Unique Experiences in South Eastern Ontario
Location: Gananoque, Kingston, Rideau Canal – Chaffey’s Lock, Lyndhurst

Isabelle Pion
Outlets: Québec dailies: Le Droit (Ottawa), Le Soleil (Québec), Le Nouvelliste (Trois-Rivières), La Voix de l’Est (Granby), Le Quotidien (Saguenay) and La Tribune (Sherbrooke)
Story Angle: Outdoor activities: Hiking, cycling, kayak, fishing, Jones Creek trail, Tunnel, Brockville cruise
Location: 1000 Islands Brockville, Cornwall

Carolyne Parent
Outlets: Elle Québec, Le Devoir
Story Angle: A lifestyle, culinary piece about a getaway in PEC with a family angle.
Location: Prince Edward County

Samantha Cutler
Outlets: Influencer – The Fit Fatale: Post 1, Video 1
Story Angle: Food and unique Experiences in South Eastern Ontario
Location: Bay of Quinte

Tiny Town Tours
Outlets: Influencers: http://www.apieceofelise.com/ & https://brigittetruong.com/
Story Angle: Food and Unique Experiences in South Eastern Ontario
Location: Cornwall, Gananoque, Rideau Canal

Results

Paid & Earned Media 

Total Stories: 271
Print: 20
TV Segments: 6
Online: 241
Newsletter: 3
Radio: 1

Total Media Impressions for Q2: 3,447,362,795

Owned & Paid Media for South Eastern Ontario

Total Reach: 2,864,451 (+50% YoY)
Total Engagement: 251,214 (+23% YoY)
Total User Visits: 209,491 (+5% YoY)
Total Page Views: 321,703 (+1% YoY)
Total Events (direct links to tourism operators’ websites): 124,579

Top Website Content
Bucket List: 25 Restaurants You Need To Try In Prince Edward County (33,107 Page Views)
11 Things You Can Do This Summer In The 1000 Island Gananoque (20,605 Page Views)
Bucket List: 24 Restaurants You Need To Try In Kingston (8,491 Page Views)
Destination Page (5,964 Page Views)
9 Places To Visit This Fall (5,947 Page Views)

Future Initiatives

RTO 9 will be co-hosting a FAM Tour with Cornwall Tourism and Akwesasne Travel

The first-ever combined FAM of Cornwall Tourism and Akwesasne Travel is the opportunity to showcase the partnership and cohesion of two destinations offering unique and experiential tourist offerings for day-trippers and international visitors alike. The two-day FAM will show existing highlights of Cornwall and bring light to the rich Mohawk culture of Akwesasne, a perfect marriage of past and present. This is the first step in the right direction for the tourism industry’s regional recovery from COVID and a pathway to create awareness about the destination for the future.

Winter Campaign – Rail + Roam

RTO 9, in partnership with VIA Rail and Landsby.ca, will be in-market with a winter Campaign – Rail + Roam. This campaign will drive interest in winter getaway travel to South Eastern Ontario city destinations such as Cornwall, Brockville, Kingston, and Belleville and will promote unique hub and spoke winter experiences and stays through packaging created by Landsby.ca. The campaign will promote safe, local travel by train from key Canadian markets and will provide a VIA fare discount from November 1, 2021- March 31, 2022 (some blackout dates will apply) when experiences are booked through Landsby.ca.

Owned & Paid Media For South Eastern Ontario

In Q3, we will be launching over 14 blogs that will be promoted on our Facebook channel. We will also feature a Storytelling Campaign for Prince Edward County.

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 and 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.

A tourism product is what you buy, an experience is what you remember! The following links provide information, resources, and opportunities to guide tourism operators in the development of new or enhanced experiential products.

RTO 9 – Growing Experiential Tourism is a high priority for RTO 9. Not only does it add a new revenue stream for businesses, but it also enhances the slower seasons, creates a competitive advantage, opens the doors to new markets and repeat visitation, and encourages creative usage of existing infrastructure. Most importantly though, Experiential Tourism is attracting travellers who not only love learning new things but care about the destinations and the locals that live there. RTO 9 provides free coaching to help you bring your tourism experience to market.

Destination Canada – Utilizing the Explorer Quotient Toolkit, Destination Canada provides tourism businesses with valuable insights into why and how different people like to travel. Explorer Quotient goes beyond traditional market research of defining people. It looks deeper at individuals’ personal beliefs, social values, and views of the world to learn exactly why different types of travellers seek out entirely different travel experiences. Learn about Explorer Quotient and how to implement the program by developing a strategic plan with an Explorer Quotient authorized trainer.

Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism (GMIST) – GMIST offers training programs, video recordings and development support services to advance the quality and success of tourism operators and destinations.
With the goal of enhancing the quality and sustainability of tourism experiences, GMIST provides support and training in:
• Sustainable Tourism Practices
• Experiential Tourism
• Tourism Community Development
• Culinary Tourism
• Indigenous Tourism

Culinary Tourism – The Culinary Tourism Alliance helps to build destination’s taste of place by supporting agriculture, viticulture, and aquaculture industries across the culinary tourism value chain. CTA promotes authentic tastes of place by sharing stories with pride and honouring the cultures that create these experiences

Eastern Ontario Agri-Food Network (EOAN) – EOAN shares several routes each season for wanderers curious about where there food comes from putting forward people that work hard into making and offering amazing foods, as well as other activities to fill your day or weekend trips. They’ve done all the work for you! Simply download the trips directly to your phone (or print them) and buckle up. These trips are ideal for couples looking for a romantic weekend getaway, families hoping for a break in the routine as well as retired couples or groups of friends simply looking to create memories to last a lifetime and discover what Eastern Ontario has to offer!

Elevating Canadian Experiences – Winter/Shoulder & Culinary National Program – Explore content ranging from strategy development to practical tools and tips – all designed to help grow and adapt your tourism business as an operator and build tourism capacity in your region as a destination partner. Explore resources in developing and using guidelines, assessing your readiness, goal setting, strategy development and partnering for success. Explore growing agritourism, culinary tourism and multisensory experience development.

The Tourism Cafe – As one of Canada’s leading tourism training companies with a national reputation for experiential travel training that raises the bar on the visitor experience. The Tourism Café employs professional educators with an award-winning, finely-tuned instructional design process that is highly collaborative, inclusive and engaging.

Tourwriter – The future of tourism: travel trends for 2021 and beyond.

Case Studies and Idea Generators: Get your creative juices flowing with these unique success stories

Newfoundland and Labrador – St. John’s Haunted Hike and Lighthouse Picnics, Linkum Tours whale watching and Tour Labrador’s 1-3 night packages.

BC’s Cultural and Heritage Tourism Development – check out the Economuseum story. Economuseums are workshop environments in which goods are produced on a small scale, focusing on the preservation of traditional skills and craftsmanship. U’Mista Cultural Centre – Creating an Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Treasure. How the community of Wells was built into a Creative Arts Community destination.

How the Rise of Experiential Travel Benefits Tour Operators – Crowdriff, article by Julia Manoukian. Experiential travel was once a niche that only appealed to the most adventurous travelers unafraid to jump off the itinerary and truly eat, see, and experience a destination for all that it’s worth. But the digital age has helped bring this kind of travel into the mainstream. More travelers are interested in learning about what’s on the minds of locals or breaking bread with a host family than dining at a Michelin starred restaurant

We all have amazing stories to tell and know that travel-related storytelling, in all its many forms, is of great interest to consumers. We encourage our regional partners, and operators to share their stories/products/experiences/packages with us to keep us in the loop. Your input will help with our marketing needs.

How do we connect with tourism partners?

Part of what we do includes increasing the marketing reach for destinations, communities, and tourism business operators within South Eastern Ontario. We actively work with our Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and Destination Marketing Program (DMPs) partners when developing our content on a seasonal basis. The content recommendations are referenced and repurposed into our marketing activities across our website and social media channels. We also reference these suggestions when organizing Influencer and other Media trips.

Our South Eastern Ontario Social Media channels allow us to connect with our audience and inspire visitation. Both Facebook and Instagram serve as our primary channels for connecting with consumers and staying connected with our Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Destination Marketing Program (DMPs), tourism partners, and operators in the region. We have leveraged our Social Media channels to build a community of advocates for the South Eastern Ontario region. Our brand hashtag, #SouthEasternOntario, has been used over 22,000 times on Instagram alone. We invite you to use our hashtag in your Social Media posts but please note that we do not monitor hashtag usage on Facebook. 

On our South Eastern Ontario Social Media channels, we use “Mentions” and ‘Tags’ in our posts when we communicate with our Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Destination Marketing Program (DMPs), and tourism partners. A mention is an act of adding another user’s handle (@) or account name to a Social Media post. A properly formatted mention allows our audience to click through to the profile of the user mentioned in the post and be directed to their page. A Tag is a keyword that is added to a Social Media post for the purpose of categorizing related content. You can also use tags to tag another profile in a post or photo, which creates a link to the user’s Social Media profile and associates them with the content. 

Like and Follow our South Eastern Ontario Social Media pages to get involved in the conversation and to keep us up to date with your offerings.

Facebook @South Eastern Ontario – Mention us in your captions.
Instagram @southeast.ontario – Tag us in your post, Mention us in the caption, & use our hashtag #SouthEasternOntario.
X (Twitter) @southeast_ontario – Tag us in your post, Mention us in the caption, & use our hashtag #SouthEasternOntario.

Why should you participate?

1. We can better promote you! 

Tag us in your post and mention us in your caption to tell us about your tourism product and experiences. Connecting with us keeps you top of mind in our marketing efforts – such as our website, social channels, newsletter, etc. This is a simple way for you to share your content with us.

2. Amplify your reach 

When you share your story with us, this gives you the opportunity to increase the visibility of your brand. When we share your story, we are amplifying your brand and sharing it with an entirely new audience (ours!) 

3. Reach a new audience

Try searching #SouthEasternOntario on Instagram and Twitter. Take a look at what visitors are talking about and doing in the region. Once you know what visitors are saying, we hope you’ll be excited to participate in the conversation by creating a similar post and engaging with other accounts. From this, your content and your brand can be seen by an audience that you may not have been able to reach before. 

A Note About Events

We have recently moved away from an events calendar on our website and are now linking directly to our Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs) and Destination Marketing Program (DMPs) event pages on their website.

If you are using the Facebook Events listing on your page, keep us in mind: Tag us, mention us or ask us to be a co-host on your Facebook events as we can then easily share them on our events page. Any changes you make on your event will automatically show up wherever it has been shared on other Facebook events.

How do we respond to a post when South Eastern Ontario is Mentioned and Tagged?

As part of our engagement strategy, we will ‘Like’ all posts we are tagged and mentioned in and may leave a comment. We may share your post if it fits in with our tourism mandate, our current social media calendar allows it, and our number of daily posts hasn’t been exceeded. Or, we might just save it to refer back to at another time.

We check our Social Media notifications at least once a day as part of our daily routine. Due to volume, we cannot share all posts we are tagged/mentioned in. We are cautious about “overposting”, especially on Facebook when we have numerous campaigns running as it can disengage followers. Don’t be discouraged if your post isn’t reshared on our Social Media pages. Remember, you’re still feeding us information to help us in all of our marketing activities.

What to do when you have been Mentioned and Tagged in a post?

So, we have tagged and mentioned you in a post, what are we looking for in return? Here are different ways you can engage in a post when you have been featured. 

• ‘Like’ the post – Acknowledges that you have seen it.
• Leave a comment, maybe with more info about whatever is featured in the post, a thank-you for the feature, or you can just leave an emoji if you can’t think of anything to say. 
• Reply to an inquiry from a user that you can answer way better than we can.
• Share/Retweet the post if it’s relevant to your Followers. Bonus: sharing helps increase engagement for all of us!

The success of our consumer brand South Eastern Ontario depends upon the active engagement from our Followers and the participation from the tourism community across the region. Together, we can work towards increasing awareness and inspiring visitors to the South Eastern Ontario region.

Check out these post to better understand Social Media Engagement: Understanding and Using # Tags and @ Tags, How to Use Instagram Tagging for More Exposure, Social Mentions 101: What Are They and Why They’re Important.

As a tourism partner, make sure to Like and Follow our Industry accounts to stay up to date on tourism industry news, tips, and opportunities.

Facebook @RTO9 
Instagram @RTO9_ON 
X (Twitter) @RTO9_ON
LinkedIn @RTO 9

We are thrilled to share some recent media coverage as a result of pitching and ongoing media conversations managed by Beattie Tartan. Working with Beattie Tartan plays an integral role in maximizing consumer awareness of South Eastern Ontario in key markets and leads to amazing storytelling and creativity!  

Here is a look at some of the media features from the Summer!

Kingston

History is alive in Kingston

Outlet: Fifty-Five Plus

About the Article: The article highlights the rich history that Kingston had to offer. The journalist visited the Kingston Pen, Haunted Walk Tour, Pumphouse Steam Museum, Kingston 1000 Islands Cruises and Fort Henry.  The journalist stayed at Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront and ate at Wharf and Feather, Black Dog Tavern, Harper’s Burger Bar, Wooden Heads and Pan Chanco Bakery.

Fun Things to Do in Kingston Ontario: Best Activities & Amazing Attractions

Outlet: Justin Plus Lauren

About the Article: This blog is as a result of Justin and Lauren’s recent FAM trip to Kingston. It provides some background on Kingston, noting it was the former capital of Canada for a short period of time. Justin and Lauren recommended to stay at the Delta hotel, as it is in walking distance of many great restaurants and activities. They also note to take the 1000 Islands Cruise at sunset for breathtaking views. Finally, they mention to relax at The Refinery Spa + Social House as well as explore Stand-Up Paddleboarding with Ahoy Rentals as they did. 

Brockville

8 Last-Minute Summer Adventures That Are Less Than 2 Hours Away From Ottawa

Outlet: Narcity

About the Article: The article is a round up and features various things to do near Ottawa. The article notes to visit places such as Walk Through A Rainbow Tunnel in Brockville. 

Prince Edward County

 18 hip motels for your Ontario summer road trip

Outlet: Cottage Life

About the Article: The article is a roundup of motels in Ontario. The article highlights The June Motel and The Drake Motor Inn in Prince Edward County. 

There’s Something for Everyone in Prince Edward County

Outlet: Elle Canada

About the Article: The article highlights journalist Melodie Karama’s four-day itinerary in P.E.C. She highlights drinks at the Drake Devonshire, swimming at Wellington Public, Beach, dinner at the Lakeside Motel, breakfast at Beacon Bike + Brew, relaxing at Sandbanks Provincial Park, and enjoying drinks at the following places Loch Mór, Morandin, Hinterland, Trail Estate and Long Dog. These were just some of the places she stopped on her four-day trip to The County. 

Une escapade pré-automnale dans le comté de Prince Edward

Outlet: Le Devoir

About the Article: This article features the interview with Karen about stats from The County and includes the Plan your Visit messaging. The article also includes details about her experiences at Karlo Estates, Lighthall Vineyards, The Wilfrid Boutique Farmhouse, Loch Mór cider house and she gives readers things to do and plan for if visiting The County.

What to expect at Wander the Resort

Outlet: Escapism

About the Article: The article is a review of the new Wanderlust Resort. The author notes it is a new lakeside, luxury cabin retreat with a private beach. She also discusses that the design is a mix of the best of modern Nordic architecture with the warm nostalgia of the rustic Ontario cottage experience.

1000 Islands Gananoque

Waterfront Festival brings in the crowds

Outlet: Toronto Star

About the Article: The article is about the first-ever 1000 Islands Waterfront Festival, that took place in Gananoque this past weekend. The journalist notes the event was a success, a was great for the whole family. The event stretched from 1000 Islands Boat Museum to the 1000 Islands History Museum and down to Joel Stone Park, the event featured Voyageur canoe tours and exhibits at the museums. The journalist also notes that Free concerts played at various times, some at the History Museum verandah and some at the Joel Stone Heritage Park Concert Stage as part of the 2021 free waterfront concert series.

1000 Islands Rideau Waterways

The Five Best Trails in Ontario, According to an Expert

Outlet: Yahoo! Canada News

About the Article: The article highlights Ontario’s best trails, which includes The Rideau Trail along The Rideau Canal.

Frontenac County

 30 Corn Mazes in Ontario For a Fun Fall Day Trip

Outlet: To Do Canada

About the Article: The article is a roundup and highlights a corn maze to check out on Wolfe Island near Kingston. “Visit this creatively designed maze carved out of a corn field. This year’s design features two mazes with a refreshment area in the middle.”

Multiple Destinations

 TO Bucket List: Best destinations under three-hour drive from Toronto

Outlet: Daily Hive 

About the Article: The article is a round up and features various places to visit near Toronto. The article notes the 1000 Islands and Gananoque to be explored by cruise or helicopter, and highlights Sandbanks Provincial Park and Drake Motor Inn while visiting P.E.C. 

 A Jack-O’-Lantern Festival With 7,000 Pumpkins Is Happening Near Montreal This Fall

Outlet: Mtl Blog

About the Article: The article notes that Pumkinferno at Upper Canada Village is back for another year and at Fort Henry. Visitors will make their way through mesmerizing displays consisting of 7,000 hand-carved jack-o’-lanterns arranged in monumental forms and themed exhibits. There will be Enchanted Forest, Mesozoic Monsters and Clown Town exhibits.

9 Incredible Things To Do In Ontario With Your Besties This Fall & Pumpkinferno Is Coming To 2 Cities In Ontario This Fall With Thousands Of Glowing Pumpkins

Outlet: Narcity

About the Article: The article notes that this fall, both Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry will have thousands of illuminating pumpkins. Upper Canada Village is happening from September 24 to October 31, whereas Fort Henry will occur from October 1 to 31. Fort Henry’s themes will include  Dragon’s Lantern Lair, Night At The Gallery, and Steampunk Station. Upper Canada Village will have a roaring 20s theme.  

 Pumpkinferno Is Coming To 2 Cities In Ontario This Fall With Thousands Of Glowing Pumpkins

Outlet: Daily Advent

About the Article: The article notes that this fall, both Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry will have thousands of illuminating pumpkins.  Upper Canada Village is happening from September 24 to October 31, whereas Fort Henry will occur from October 1 to 31. Fort Henry’s themes will include  Dragon’s Lantern Lair, Night At The Gallery, and Steampunk Station. Upper Canada Village will have a roaring 20s theme.  

20 Best Long Weekend Destinations From Toronto

Outlet: Slice.ca

About the Article: The article rounds up some great destinations to spend Labour Day weekend. The article includes 1000 Islands and Prince Edward County on their must-see list.

Cycling the St. Lawrence In Ontario: Finding My Pedals With Ontario By Bike

Outlet: Wondering Wagars

About the Article: The article is about cycling through various parts of Ontario and notes cycling through 1000 Islands, Brockville and Cornwall. 

Following the historic St. Lawrence River in a 2021 Dodge Durango R/T

Outlet: Driving.ca 

About the Article: This article is a review of the 2021Dodge Durango as it is driven along the St. Lawrence River. The author reached out to work with BT on the Kingston portion of her trip. The journalist stops in Kingston and notes key points of interest such as Kingston Penitentiary, Queen’s University, Fort Henry and the Royal Military College. The article also highlights Bellevue House based just west of downtown Kingston. The article also highlights stops at 1000 Islands, Cornwall and Brockville. The piece notes the Brockville Railway Tunnel as a must-see, as well as the Brockville’s Aquatarium is a great excursion for families.

Seeing The Sites of the St. Lawrence By Bike

Outlet: Ontario By Bike

About the Article: This article highlights Influencer Kevin Wagar, three day itinerary exploring Brockville, SDG Counties, and the 1000 Islands by bike.

An adventurer’s Guide to Exploring Ontario

Outlet: CBC Toronto

About the Article: The clip is a roundup of day and weekend trips across Ontario. The author mentions hidden gems, as well as popular beaches like Sandbanks. For adventure travel, the clip notes hot air ballooning and helicopter rides in the 1000 Islands. 

 Where to travel for a taste of movie magic, pg 25

Outlet: North York Post

About the Article: The article is a roundup of Ontario film locations. The article pinpoints Kingston as a major hub, listing several films shot at the Kingston Pen. It also mentions that Rideau Canal creates an emblematic landscape for many productions. The article also notes the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a huge tourist attraction all year round, creating the ideal backdrop for boating and running in the warmer months.

 Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence River offer travelers 1,001 delights

Outlet: Miami Herald 

About the Article: The article is written by Carol Ann Davidson who recently went on a FAM trip in July. She starts off the piece by noting her experiences in the Brockville Aquatarium. Carol Ann highlights There are actually 1,864 islands in the archipelago flowing between Ontario and New York state. She mentions that the “Brockville Tunnel is kaleidoscope of changing colors infuses the vaulted tunnel with dazzling light and highlights the feat of engineering magic.” When highlighting Gananoque, she notes the city of 5,000 has an indigenous name meaning “a gathering place” and provides a rave review of Sexy Laundry and some restaurant recommendations including Riva and The Ivy Restaurant. For Kingston, Carol Ann goes into detail about her exceptional accommodations, the Kingston Pen, the city’s astounding history and her experience at Agnes Etherington Art Centre and Trolley Tours.

Stay tuned! We will be sharing our Q2 (July – September) Marketing Highlights which will include a report on the total Impressions our Earned Media received during that time.

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 and 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.