Cindy Fisher, who is Huron County’s tourism co-ordinator.
Bullet News BENMILLER – Huron tourism promoters hope for a repeat of a strategic marketing plan that was given a boost by two wild cards – synchronicity and timing – in 2012.
“What we really hope for for 2013 is some synchronicity. Things like great weather when we need it – that is such an important element to tourism and we can do nothing about it other than hope and pray – and also some magic travel writer timing,” Cindy Fisher, the county’s tourism co-ordinator, told the annual general meeting of the Huron Tourism Association last night.
This past year, Huron County tourism consultant Laurel Armstrong convinced travel writers from print media like the Globe and Mail to come for a visit, taking them to some of the favourite travel spots on Ontario’s West Coast. The added bonus came when The Globe’s travel writer caught a fish in local waters, landing it placement on the front of The Globe’s travel section, with distribution across the country.
“We can’t plan for that. It just happened and we’re grateful,” Fisher said.
The Huron Tourism Association, which relies on a 50/50 funding formula between private operators and the county’s planning and development department, has focused its efforts on drawing tourists from Kitchener-Waterloo, London, Guelph and Sarnia. Through its designation in the province’s Regional Tourism Organization’s Area Four – along with Perth, Waterloo and Wellington – it is promoted to the Toronto market.
“We feel we’ve got a pretty good part of the realistic Ontario market knowing about Huron County,” Fisher said.
In 2012, the county dedicated $319,650 to tourism, including a part-time co-orinator, promoter and administrator.
HTA partners with the Shakespeare to the Shoreline and the Huron Arts and Heritage Network initiatives, Community Economic Revitalization Committee and various industries to promote the county as a travel destination.
“Together, all of us make Huron County, Ontario’s West Coast, a travel destination of choice and a mighty fine place to live,” Fisher said.
In the past year, visits to the website www.ontarioswestcoast.ca, likes on Facebook and traffic on other social media have increased. The county was promoted at consumer travel shows in London, Ottawa and Toronto and through advertising in various print media, often leveraging dollars through co-op and contra advertising.
