Community Sessions 2026: What We Heard
Explorers’ Edge | November 3–4, 2026
Thank you for shaping what comes next
Over two days, tourism operators, municipal partners and community leaders from Muskoka, Parry Sound, Almaguin Highlands and beyond joined us online and in person.
We shared the latest research on visitors and business performance, updated you on partnerships underway across the region, and asked for your input on our 2027–28 priorities.
This page brings it all together, what the research tells us, what we heard from you and where we go next.
Didn’t get a chance to participate? There’s still time.
Whether you attended a session, couldn’t make it, or would like to share the questions with colleagues, we welcome your input. We’ve made the session questions available online so more tourism businesses and community partners can help shape our priorities for 2027–28.
Click Here Complete or share the survey.
Looking beyond summer
Operators identified several opportunities to strengthen business performance:
- 55% want more visitors during slower months.
- 48% want more partnerships and bookable packages.
- 41% want visitors spending more locally.
Events and festivals were identified as the greatest opportunity outside the summer peak, followed by winter experiences.
The biggest barrier? A lack of experiences and attractions during the off-season.
Better information, better business decisions
Only about one in five participants routinely collects visitors’ postal codes.
Meanwhile, 75% expressed interest in understanding how travellers are using artificial intelligence to plan their trips.
When asked to describe the future of tourism in our region in one word, participants offered:
Exciting. Welcoming. Collaboration. Connectivity. Regenerative. Memorable.
Looking beyond summer
Operators identified several opportunities to strengthen business performance:
- 55% want more visitors during slower months.
- 48% want more partnerships and bookable packages.
- 41% want visitors spending more locally.
Events and festivals were identified as the greatest opportunity outside the summer peak, followed by winter experiences.
The biggest barrier? A lack of experiences and attractions during the off-season.
Better information, better business decisions
Only about one in five participants routinely collects visitors’ postal codes.
Meanwhile, 75% expressed interest in understanding how travellers are using artificial intelligence to plan their trips.
When asked to describe the future of tourism in our region in one word, participants offered:
Exciting. Welcoming. Collaboration. Connectivity. Regenerative. Memorable.
These perspectives will help guide our next steps.
What the research is telling us
Joined by Peter Coish of Kuration Research, we explored how visitor behaviour is changing, where our guests are coming from and how businesses across the region are performing.
1. Our visitor markets are changing
American visitation is recovering.
Between January and August 2026, US-resident arrivals to Canada reached 17.03 million — up 6.7% compared with 2025, although still below 2019 levels.
How travellers plan and book is changing too.
- 22% have used AI to plan travel, compared with 10% in spring 2025.
- 31% are searching for deals more frequently than in previous years.
The opportunity: Help businesses communicate value, reach new markets and remain visible as travel planning evolves.
2. Summer remains strong, but the opportunity is year-round
Regional hotel occupancy reached 82.5% in August 2026.
However, average occupancy from January through August was 54.6%, compared with 68.1% across Ontario.
November room revenue per available room was approximately one-quarter of August levels.
The opportunity: Develop reasons to visit, stay and spend beyond the traditional summer peak.
3. Our visitors are already travelling throughout the year
Geofencing research in Gravenhurst, Huntsville and Parry Sound indicates that only about 40% of out-of-town visits occur during June, July and August.
Toronto remains the largest visitor source market for all three communities, with Barrie, Orillia and Greater Sudbury also important.
The opportunity: Better understand existing visitor patterns and convert more year-round travel into economic activity for local businesses.
4. Operators remain cautiously optimistic
The Fall 2026 Great Canadian Wilderness Business Confidence Index recorded a score of 52.1, remaining above neutral for the second consecutive reading.
Approximately 65.6% of operators expressed optimism about the 2027 tourism season.
Winter remains a concern, with only 19.1% of winter operators reporting optimism.
The opportunity: Focus on the challenges and opportunities operators themselves are identifying, particularly around winter demand.
5. Visitors love the experience — and there’s room to grow
Our 2026 Visitor Exit Surveys collected feedback from 418 visitors across five communities.
- 93% were satisfied with their experience.
- 94% would recommend the community.
- 89% had visited before.
Visitors identified opportunities for improved parking, greater restaurant and retail choice, and more reasons to extend their stay.
Research also suggests many event visitors leave the same day rather than staying overnight.
The opportunity: Turn satisfied visitors into longer stays, additional spending and repeat business.
What does this mean for your business?
Package the value. Build the quieter months. Be discoverable through AI. Welcome emerging markets. Create experiences around events.
Research should not simply tell us what happened. It should help businesses decide what to do next.
Research sources include Statistics Canada, Destination Canada, CBRE Hotels, regional mobile-location data, the Great Canadian Wilderness Business Confidence Index and Explorers’ Edge Visitor Exit Surveys. Full sources are included in the presentation.
Turning research and relationships into business opportunities
Research is only valuable when we use it to create opportunities for tourism businesses and the communities they support.
Here’s some of the work underway.
Getting visitors here — and connecting them to experiences
Our partnership with FlixBus now provides year-round coach connections between Toronto, Muskoka and North Bay, as well as Toronto, Parry Sound and Sudbury.
We’re also exploring Great Lakes cruising and opportunities to connect international visitors with regional tourism experiences.
The next step is connecting transportation with accommodations, attractions and experiences through bookable packages.
A new model for municipal tourism investment
Our work with the Town of Gravenhurst is exploring how Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) investments can support visitor research, business development, training and measurable tourism outcomes.
The next Gravenhurst business workshop takes place November 16.
This work also provides an opportunity to explore approaches that could be adapted by other municipalities across the region.
Packaging the Great Canadian Wilderness
Our regenerative travel agency is developing fully guided, small-group tourism experiences that connect visitors with local businesses, communities, culture and heritage.
Current examples include:
Profits are reinvested into our communities.
We’re looking for more tourism operators interested in participating in future experiences and packages.
Interested in joining a package? Get in touch.
Building relationships with Indigenous communities
We continue to listen, learn and work alongside First Nations partners across the region.
From our shared canoe-building initiative to the Indigenous Youth Tourism Entrepreneurship Journey, this work begins with relationships, respect and community-defined priorities.
Our role is to support opportunities identified by Indigenous communities themselves.
Creating a more welcoming destination
Through our work with the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce, DIVA Dialogues and Rainbow Registered, we’re supporting a more inclusive and welcoming tourism region.
This includes destination assessment, community engagement, business support and opportunities for operators to strengthen the visitor experience.
Where we go next – with your input
As we begin developing our 2027–28 Business and Operational Plan, we shared five emerging directions for discussion.
These are not predetermined decisions. They’re starting points shaped by research, partnerships and the experiences of regional businesses.
Our five emerging directions:
- Stronger business performance and year-round visitor demand.
- Transportation and regional connectivity.
- Trails, waterways and new visitor experiences.
- Indigenous relationships and inclusive destination development.
- Research, collaboration and measurable outcomes.
When asked where Explorers’ Edge should focus, participants placed transportation and regional connectivity first.
Indigenous partnerships and inclusive tourism, tourism growth beyond summer, and trails, waterways and new experiences followed closely.
Your feedback is helping us understand where regional collaboration can create the greatest value for businesses and communities.
Still want to contribute?
Complete the Community Sessions survey or share it with a colleague:
Click Here Complete or share the survey.
What happens next
Your feedback is part of our planning process.
Staff have compiled the poll results, concerns and suggestions from the sessions for consideration by the Explorers’ Edge Board during its November 5 strategic planning session.
There are also several opportunities to remain involved.
November 5, 2026 — Board Strategic Planning Session
Community feedback helps inform our direction for 2027–28 and beyond.
November 16, 2026 — Gravenhurst Business Workshop
Smarter Marketing, Better ROI: A 2027 Snapshot for Gravenhurst Businesses.
November 24, 2026 — DIVA Dialogues
Regional 2SLGBTQIA+ community conversation, held on Zoom from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
January 15, 2027 — Winter Tourism Summit
Join tourism leaders, operators and partners at JW Marriott The Rosseau for a regional conversation about winter tourism, partnerships, visitor experiences and growth.
January 22, 2027 — Business Plan Submission
Our 2027–28 Business and Operational Plan is due to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming.
Coming soon — Research Deep Dive with Peter Coish
We’ll host a dedicated Zoom session to explore the visitor intelligence, geofencing findings and business research in greater detail.
Sign up for our newsletter
Register for the Winter Tourism Summit
Keep the conversation going
The Community Sessions may be over, but the conversation isn’t.
Have a business challenge, partnership idea, new experience or opportunity we should know about?
We want to hear from you.
James Murphy
CEO, Explorers’ Edge
[email protected]
Jennifer Montpetit
Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development
[email protected]
Jake Good
Brand Narrative Manager
[email protected]
Rachel Dawson
Administration & Travel Services Coordinator
[email protected]
Thank you to everyone who participated in our 2026 Community Sessions, and to Peter Coish of Kuration Research for sharing his expertise and insights.
Together, we’re building a stronger, more connected and more resilient visitor economy across the Great Canadian Wilderness.
