Existing attractions like the Bay of Quinte, Centennial Park, the Trent Port Marina and area golf courses are some of the focal points of tourism in Quinte West.
At Monday’s Quinte West council meeting, council heard an update on the tourism development strategy for the municipality.
Council last saw a presentation on the plan in late May that highlighted the area’s key attractions and gave insight on the roadmap for improving the tourism industry in Quinte West.
The plan was developed by MDB Insights, an economic development consulting firm based in Toronto.
Kai Liepins of MDB broke down some survey numbers that paint a good picture of how the tourism industry is viewed by Quinte West residents.
“As the survey results on the screen illustrate, your residents are highly supportive of tourism … 94% either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed that tourism is good for the City of Quinte West, that tourism makes a valuable contribution to your local economy … 89%, so nearly 90%, felt that tourism is just as important as the other industries and 90% felt that through careful planning, such as the strategic plan, you can overcome any negative effects of the tourism sector.”
The survey included 488 residents and businesses. There were also three community visits, over 250 tourism and municipal assets analyzed, 12 interviews with key industry figures, and frequent meetings with Quinte West staff that went into the development of the strategy.
Another major point the strategic plan touches on is fostering a strong communication network within the local tourism industry.
Clark Hoskin explained the importance of communication in the tourism sector and the role it plays in strengthening it.
“Within the tourism industry, which can be a very disparate group of businesses – everything from accommodations to outfitters to transportation people. Often they have difficulty connecting because they may be independently run operations. It’s very important in this action for the city and its partners in tourism to work together to help the industry network and collaborate because through that collaboration, it will definitely help push the strategy forward down the road.”
The other two major points of the plan are market readiness and operator supports.
After the presentation, Councillor Allan DeWitt offered an optimistic point of view on where the tourism industry in Quinte West is heading.
“I grew up here in what’s now called Quinte West and I can honestly say I don’t think tourism was hot on the lips of anybody back thirty years ago or before. Certainly I would say the last three terms of council at least, and maybe before, the development of tourism as a real industry in the Quinte region is certainly to the forefront. I thank you for the report. I see a lot of good things going on but also acknowledge there’s a lot of work to be done.”
Learn more about the Quinte West Tourism Development Strategy here.
