As we reflect on the past year, we’re grateful for the collaboration, creativity, and dedication of everyone working in South Eastern Ontario’s tourism sector. Here’s a look at some of the ways we’ve supported operators, strengthened partnerships, and shared the region’s experiences with more visitors.
Research, Insights & Industry Engagement
RTO 9 is committed to supporting our destinations with the insights, tools, and connections they need to grow and innovate. In partnership with Environics Analytics and Destination Canada, we provide actionable data on visitor behaviour, market trends, and sector dynamics, helping make informed decisions, anticipate market shifts, and enhance visitor experiences. In collaboration with our 11 destinations, we’ve made this data more accessible.
This year, we strengthened key partnerships to drive growth in cycling tourism, working with Vélo Québec, the Prescott-Russell Recreation Trail, and Destination Canada to enhance cycling infrastructure, investment, and experiences across Ontario and Quebec. To support skills development, we launched an in-house experiential training workbook and workshop, providing practical tools for operators to elevate the visitor experience.
RTO 9 also brought the tourism community together at the 2025 SEe ON Tourism Summit in Kingston. The two-day event was filled with energy and collaboration, featuring inspiring keynotes, hands-on case studies, and networking opportunities. Discussions explored Indigenous tourism, inclusive marketing, sustainability, strategic partnerships, and the evolving role of technology.
Marketing & Digital Highlights
In 2025, RTO 9’s marketing efforts helped bring South Eastern Ontario to life for visitors, showcasing the region’s waterfronts, food, cycling, and cultural experiences. Our Waterway Adventure Trail Guides highlighted six self-guided routes, generating over 12 million impressions and 221,000 leads for local operators.
Through earned and paid media, we hosted media-familiarization tours with partners such as Destination Ontario and Le Boat. Highlights included a Japanese film crew documenting the Rideau Canal and Kingston for a nationwide broadcast, estimated at CAD $723,076 in value. Influencer visits, such as Kevin Wagar in the Bay of Quinte and the Travelling Mitch duo in Brockville and 1000 Islands Gananoque, created authentic content widely shared across social and web platforms. Paid campaigns extended our reach in Ontario, Quebec, and U.S. drive markets, promoting seasonal experiences and culinary and cycling adventures.
Our owned media efforts included seasonal contests developed in collaboration with Attractions Ontario, Culinary Tourism Alliance, St. Lawrence Parks Commission, and Ontario By Bike, engaging new audiences and expanding the consumer database. Seasonal blogs and social media content highlighted the people, communities, and experiences that make South Eastern Ontario unique, including our Tastemaker Series, which showcases regional chefs and food-focused stories, and our weekly “What’s On” updates, which promote local events.
Together, these initiatives increased awareness of the region, drove visitation, and provided meaningful support and exposure for local tourism operators.
Partnership Fund Highlights
Through three intakes in 2025, RTO 9’s Partnership Fund supported a wide range of local tourism projects, helping operators enhance experiences, marketing, and visibility. Funding focused on launching or expanding new tourism experiences, creating professional seasonal photo and video assets, improving marquee and wayfinding signage, and promoting events and unique offerings across the region.
Operators leveraged the fund to attract more visitors, extend the visitor season, and showcase the distinct experiences South Eastern Ontario has to offer. Projects included creating high-quality imagery to promote culinary, wellness, and agritourism experiences, as well as updating signage to improve visibility and wayfinding for visitors.
Overall, the fund supported 49 applications, with 67% of applicants participating for the first time. Operators reported that the funding provided a valuable boost, allowing them to think bigger, attract more visitors, and showcase world-class experiences across the region.
Our most recent news!
RTO 9 Industry Website Relaunch
On December 10, RTO 9 relaunched this industry website, developed in partnership with our agency of record, Alphabet Creative. The updated site features a modern design, improved navigation, and full responsiveness across devices, serving as a one-stop hub for tourism operators across South Eastern Ontario. It makes it easier to access funding opportunities, register for workshops and events, and discover resources to support business growth.
The website also provides guidance on creating compelling tourism experiences, marketing support to raise regional awareness, workforce development initiatives, and investment opportunities. By bringing these tools together in a single, user-friendly platform, RTO 9 ensures operators can find what they need quickly and stay connected to the latest regional initiatives. Take a tour; we hope you find this to be a valuable resource for tourism growth!
Thank you once again for your dedication and for everything you do to support and grow tourism in our region. We look forward to continuing this work together in the year ahead.
The RTO 9 Team
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About RTO 9
RTO 9 is a regional tourism organization funded by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming. 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, Prescott & Russell, Frontenac County, Kingston, Lennox and Addington, Prince Edward County and the 1000 Islands and Rideau Canal Waterways.
Media Contact
To arrange an interview with Bonnie Ruddock, Executive Director of Region 9 (South Eastern Ontario)
Regional Tourism Organization, or arrange high‑res images please contact:
