2024 Regional Tourism Summit

Explorers’ Edge is pleased to announce that the 2024 Regional Tourism Summit will take place on Wednesday, November 6 at Windermere House on Lake Rosseau, Muskoka.

With a dual focus on product innovation and rural strategy, the day will feature discussions with multiple industry experts, including:

Join us to learn about TIAO’s efforts to build a provincial tourism strategy that addresses rural concerns, Thunder Bay’s successful cruise industry development, Municipal Accommodation Tax successes and challenges, motorized and non-motorized product development, approaches by smaller stakeholder collectives, the significance of AI to the regional industry, and for a first look at the Explorers’ Edge Travel Agency marketing initiatives.

Windermere House** on beautiful Lake Rosseau, established 1870

Summit Date:  Wednesday, November 6, 2024
Time: 8:30am to 4.00pm
Draft Agenda – Click Here
Place: Windermere House**

The Day’s Agenda

8:30am to 9:15am:         
Coffee & Industry Meet & Greet

9:15am:                            
Opening Remarks by CEO James Murphy
Catalyst Housing Update

9:40am:                            
Guest Speaker: Andrew Siegwart, President & CEO, TIAO: Provincial Tourism Strategy & The Importance of Rural

10.00am:                           
Municipal Accommodation Tax update:
Kelly Haywood, ED, Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Assoc.
Paul Pepe, Manager, Tourism Thunder Bay
Amy Taylor, Manager, Economic Development, Town of Gravenhurst

10:30am:                           
Small But Mighty: Rural Collaboration for Success
Angela Pollak, South Algonquin Business Alliance
Hilary Chambers, Loring Restoule Business Association
Todd Lucier, Explore South River

11.00am:                           
Break: coffee or leg stretch in the Village of Windermere

11:15am                            
Explorers’ Edge Regenerative Travel Agency Update/James Murphy

11:45am                            
Product Development Survey & Capacity Building Launch/James Murphy

12:00pm                            
LUNCH

1.00pm:                             
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BREAKOUTS – 1
a. Non-motorized Development: Louisa Mursell, Ontario By Bike, on fat biking, electric bike growth and OBB successful packages program
b. Motorized Development: Mike Jacobs, CEO The New Business & Paul Pepe on successful motorcyle touring programs

1:30pm:                             
PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BREAKOUTS – 2          
a. Val Hamilton, ED Muskoka Tourism on “Muskoka: Home of the Stars” collaborative marketing initiative for shoulder season development
b. Paul Pepe, Thunder Bay’s successful Great Lakes cruise strategy

2:15pm:                             
AI is Here: Insights from Mike Jacobs of Tourism Technology Co.

2:45pm                              
Guest Speaker: Trevor Norris, Senior Manager, Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board (includes PEC) on strategies for innovative rural destination development

3:15pm:                             
Closing Remarks, James Murphy


Registration

This is a ticketed event with a limited capacity. Tickets are $50.00 (inclusive of fees and taxes)

  • Included in your summit fee; morning and afternoon network refreshment breaks along with lunch from the kitchen at Windermere House.


*** A room block has been reserved at Windermere House for summit attendees arriving the day before, with a rate of $145.00 per night, plus a $49.00 resort fee and taxes. The price also includes a hot buffet breakfast.

Registration will close on Monday, November 4th or when capacity is reached so we can forward numbers to the resort staff.

Got questions? Email [email protected]

See you at the Summit!