Programs like our partnership program have been extremely successful each year. RTO 9 collaborates with an average of 25 tourism partners annually on projects of varying scopes, designed to enhance the tourism landscape in the region.
RTO 9’s Partnership Fund is designed to forge strong and diverse partnerships that either build on existing tourism products or introduce new tourism products. These projects serve to enhance the region’s diversity of offerings to create a competitive advantage in tourism experiences throughout the South Eastern Ontario region. These are the snapshots of success for 2024-2025.
In the 2023/2024 fiscal year, through funding provided by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming (MTCG), RTO 9 worked together with regional operators through the Partnership Fund Program to deliver 22 projects throughout the South Eastern Ontario region. These are their success stories.
RTO 9 provided the opportunity for training and wage subsidies for eligible businesses in South Eastern Ontario's Tourism and Hospitality sectors through the Tourism SkillNet 9 (TSN9) program. This program addressed specific workforce labour gaps in the Tourism and Hospitality sector by successfully training 84 employees representing 16 employers within South Eastern Ontario.
Seventy-nine projects benefited from the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund resulting in growth and economic prosperity. Funding gave small businesses, Indigenous Tourism Ontario applicants, not-for-profit organizations, and municipalities the opportunity to enhance or develop new products and services to attract visitors and support future growth.
The Kick & Push Festival is a professionally-run three-week-long festival that features Canadian performers presenting original, international award-winning work across eight venues in Kingston’s downtown core.
RTO 9 has was able to help two Prince Edward County staff members from the Community Development Department, specifically, Museums and Destination Marketing departments attend GMIST’s Edge of The Wedge and deep dive into the development process of experiential tourism.
Tourism Kingston hosted the first annual Corks and Forks wine festival with funding assistance through RTO 9’s Partnership Funding program. Designed for the wine enthusiast, the weekend-long festival offered seminars, panel tastings, masterclasses and innovative culinary experiences while showcasing winemakers and winery owners from around the world. Tickets sold out quickly and hotels and motels saw a sizable uptick in sales.
RTO 9 participated in a “Spotlight on Local” with the consumer brand South Eastern Ontario at the 2019 Royal Winter Fair. Attendance at the Royal Winter Fair gave RTO9, Frontenac County, and the participating producers, an opportunity to increase regional brand awareness, interact directly with consumers, get consumer feedback and distribute product information.
Parks Canada has been working to create new opportunities at their National Parks and National Historic Sites that appeal more to the changing market and new visitors. With daily questions at their Visitor Centre such as“how do we get to the islands” and “where are the boat tours, "Thousand Islands National Park identified an opportunity to meet demand.
