OHTO - Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization RTO11

12/11/2024

OHTO celebrated World Tourism Day on September 27, 2024, as a partner in Destination Think’s 100 Travel Innovations campaign, running until December 31, 2024.

Our spotlight on Responsible Tourism features the Haliburton Bike Share, a Haliburton Rotary Club community initiative providing free bicycles for residents and visitors to use. This partnership highlights OHTO’s commitment to supporting innovative solutions that drive sustainability and community prosperity in tourism.

100 Travel Innovations spotlights forward-thinking solutions to pressing issues like biodiversity, climate resilience, cultural preservation, and community prosperity—challenges that will shape the future of tourism in Ontario’s Highlands. Our sponsorship reflects our dedication to ensuring tourism remains a force for good, both globally and locally.

Learn about innovations from destinations around the world that make sure travel plays its part to enrich our lives sustainably and responsibly.

11/11/2024

OHTO has extended the annual tourism stakeholder survey by ONE WEEK! The survey closes on Friday, November 15, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

OHTO values your input to help our board of directors make decisions.

Your response matters. By completing this survey, not only will your voice be heard, but you are helping increase the total responses from our industry and strengthening the reliability of the data.

The annual tourism stakeholder survey is a valuable tool that captures tourism performance over the past year and identifies current challenges and opportunities facing our sector.

Help us help you! Survey closes November 15, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

Be part of shaping the Ontario's Highlands tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

11/11/2024

Welcome to OHTO's 2024/25 Board of Directors!

At OHTO's Oct. 9, 2024 Annual General Meeting, the board of directors welcomed four (4) returning directors for the 2024-25 term and is eager to support shaping the future of the organization and its approach to tourism over the next year.

Thank you to all board members for their service to tourism in Ontario's Highlands.

Barbara Kraus - Tamarack Lodge Cottage Resort
Barrie Martin - Experience Broker / Founder, Yours Outdoors
Cindy Jamieson - Jamieson Travel / Whitewater Inn / Valley Cycle Tours
Chris Hinsperger - Bonnechere Caves
Greg Rodgers - Rock Hill B&B
Jeff Jackson - Algonquin Fly Fishing Premium Guide Service / Professor & Coordinator at Algonquin College (returning)
Meghan James - Somewhere Inn Calabogie
Melissa Marquardt - Ottawa Valley Tourist Association (returning)
Mike Hage - Myers Cave Resort (returning)
Shannon MacLaggan - Anupaya Cabin Co.
Vanessa Dow - Lanark County Tourism (returning)

Get to know each director here 👇

About OHTO Breadcrumb Home About OHTO Our Board of Directors Our Board of Directors Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) functions as an industry-led Not-For-Profit Corporation governed by a Board of Directors, Responsible for setting strategic objectives, developing policies and monitori...

08/11/2024

Haliburton County has one of the highest rates of energy poverty in Canada.

Everyone deserves a warm home, and you can help make that happen by donating to the Heat Bank Auction!

Heat Bank receives hundreds of calls for assistance every year. Many families are juggling essential needs, choosing between having heat or something to eat.

Heat Bank offers free and confidential services to help families keep the heat the electricity on.

https://app.galabid.com/heatbank24/items

07/11/2024

OHTO’s AGM brings tourism champions (like you!) together to talk about what happened in the previous year and what’s coming up in 2025.

Now that the AGM has passed, OHTO members can begin the work of learning more about being a tourism champion through partnership with OHTO and embracing a sustainable approach to tourism, while encouraging visitors to do the same.

Supporting tourism businesses and stakeholders in Ontario's Highlands (RTO11).

06/11/2024

Join Ottawa Valley Tourism Association for an exclusive series of online workshops designed to enhance your skills and knowledge:

The Anatomy of an Ad
Tuesday, November 12 | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. EST

Introduction to Sustainable & Regenerative Tourism
Tuesday, November 19 | 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. EST

*Register for individual workshops or attend the entire series.

06/11/2024

🔔 Only TWO DAYS left to complete OHTO's annual tourism stakeholder survey! The survey closes this Friday, November 9, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

Complete OHTO’s Annual Tourism Stakeholder Survey and you will have the option of providing your contact information to be entered to win the choice of a social media or website audit (valued at $500) to assist you with growing your marketing success!

Be part of shaping the Ontario's Highlands tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

05/11/2024

Join the Government of Ontario in collaboration with Sheri Evans, Local Development Specialist from Sobeys, for a FREE webinar on November 14, at 10:00am.

This webinar designed specifically for food and beverage producers will include information on how to grow your brand into retail, what you need to know and what the next steps are.

04/11/2024

‼️ SURVEY CLOSES THIS FRIDAY - COMPLETE SURVEY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN ‼️

Complete our annual stakeholder survey and you can enter to win a website or Social Media Audit (valued at $500)!

Are you a tourism stakeholder, OHTO member or non-member, or tourism operator operating in Ontario's Highlands? We need your feedback!

Be part of shaping the tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

Be part of shaping the Ontario's Highlands tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

29/10/2024

Are you a tourism stakeholder, OHTO member or non-member, or tourism operator operating in Ontario’s Highlands? We need your feedback!

Help OHTO to shape tourism initiatives and programming for the coming year by completing our the annual stakeholder survey. The survey only takes a few minutes (promise!) and you can enter to win a website or Social Media Audit (valued at $500)!

Be part of shaping the tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

Be part of shaping the Ontario's Highlands tourism landscape by completing the survey today!

28/10/2024

Destination Canada has announced the released of their Sustainability Storybook, which shares the many sustainability initiatives available for business events across Canada.

The Sustainability Storybook presents many of these turnkey solutions from communities across Canada, to inspire and challenge business events decision markers, planners, sustainability professionals and host destinations everywhere.

Every sustainability solution in this book is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

The future of business events is sustainable and it's time to make a change. It's our responsibility to create a positive impact and leave a lasting legacy.

25/10/2024

Tourism businesses and events are the lifeblood of our industry. Destination Ontario wants to help bring your story to a broader audience by getting to know who you are and what sets your business or event apart.

Your input is vital to fueling Destination Ontario's content and communications efforts, and may be featured on their social media, blog posts, marketing campaigns and media relations.

Destination Ontario welcomes your updates year-round, but please allow sufficient time for review, especially for time-sensitive events.

Tourism businesses and events are the lifeblood of our industry. You are the people and experiences that create travel memories, inspiring travellers to return and to explore more of Ontario. Destination Ontario wants to help bring your story to a broader audience by getting to know who you are and....

24/10/2024

TSNO Workforce Issues, Opportunities and Impact Report leverages OTEC's provincial Destination Dynamics Economic and Labour Market modeling and valuable input from sector employers and TSNO alliance members across Ontario.

A few updated highlights include:
- In Ontario, tourism and hospitality employment demand is projected to expand to more than 763,960 jobs by 2027.
- Projected vacancy rates of 5.9% in 2027 reflect a 26% increase from 2024 projections. Several occupations are projected to surpass this annual average, such as food service supervisors at 25.4% and hotel front desk clerks at 11.5%
- Ontario's tourism & hospitality sector revenue is anticipated to reach $101 billion by 2027.

23/10/2024

TIAO will host its third annual Ontario Tourism Awards Silent Auction Fundraiser, with all proceeds supporting post-secondary education for underrepresented students pursuing careers in the tourism industry. In 2023, we raised $9,945 for these programs.

Opportunity:
- Provide an in-kind donation to be included in the auction and showcased to 450+ attendees.
- Your logo and URL will be highlighted within your item listing, and featured in branded banners within Bid Beacon.

Reach out to Simone Gonsalves at [email protected] to discuss your contribution.

22/10/2024

Destination Canada's Quarterly Tourism Snapshot monitors the state of Canada's tourism sector, and the recently published Q1 2024 report revealed that total tourism revenue for the first quarter of 2024 was a healthy $23.1B, outpacing pre-pandemic baselines in unadjusted inflation terms.

Exciting news: in the first quarter of 2024, Canada was the top destination mentioned by Americans when asked where they are most likely to fly to for their next vacation. Canada was also ranked as a top 3 recommended destination in the UK, France, Germany and Australia.

The Tourism Performance Indicator dashboard offers timely insights into key performance indicators such as visitor arrivals, traveller spending, and occupancy rates.

21/10/2024

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is seeking input from people across Ontario to inform the development of the rural economic development strategy.

They are looking for feedback for these questions:
- What is the most pressing economic obstacle or opportunity in your community or across rural Ontario? Why?
- How can communities and government work together to improve local economies or better support local businesses?
- What changes has your community experienced in the last few years that have presented new opportunities for economic growth? And how can the province help you take advantage of those opportunities?

Help inform the creation of a rural economic development strategy by sharing your feedback.

18/10/2024

✨TOURISM STAKEHOLDER SURVEY - CLOSES NOV. 8 AT 4:30 P.M. ✨

Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) are launching our annual tourism stakeholder survey, a valuable tool that captures tourism performance over the past year and identifies current challenges and opportunities facing our sector.

Feedback gathered through this survey is invaluable in helping to:
1. Elevate the awareness of our region's needs with provincial and federal partners,
2. Ensure the OHTO Board of Directors makes informed decisions about the strategic direction of the organization, and
3. Influence the type of programming and services we provide to the Ontario's Highlands' tourism community.

Our region is the second largest geographically in the province and comprises (6) six counties, (45) forty-five municipalities and more than 1200 tourism establishments.

Your response matters. By completing this survey, not only will your voice will be heard, but you are helping to increase the total responses from our industry and strengthening the reliability of the data.

Help us help you! Survey closes November 8, 2024 at 4:30 p.m.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

17/10/2024

The Ontario's Highlands Tourism Organization (OHTO) is excited to announce the achievement of Bronze Level Sustainable certification from GreenStep Solutions! In ecologically diverse regions like Ontario’s Highlands, a focus on responsible tourism is even more important. Obtaining sustainable certification is part of OHTO’s Wander Sustainably approach to tourism, an approach that focuses on supporting and growing the community and culture, while protecting the environment and its ecosystems. encourages visitors to consider travel planning from a new perspective and consciously seek out experience providers who care about how they impact their community and environment.

We invite you to join us as we at OHTO.ca