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RTO 3 Hamilton Halton Brant 2026/2027 Partnership Funding Program - OPEN |
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RTO 3 Board of Director Recruitment |
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RTO 3 is seeking new Board Directors! We’re currently accepting applications for volunteer Board appointments for a three-year term. If you’re passionate about tourism and live or work within our region, we encourage you to apply.
Application deadline: Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Interested candidates are invited to visit our website to learn more about RTO3. To apply, please complete an application form submit it along with your current resume to: [email protected] |
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Building a Group Tour - Ready Region: Spring 2026 Learning Sessions Recap |
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This spring, RTO3 hosted four regional learning sessions in partnership with local DMOs and Ontario Motor Coach Association to strengthen group tour readiness across the Hamilton-Halton-Brant region. Engaging 54 participants from 52 tourism businesses, the sessions focused on key skills like pricing, packaging, and working with tour operators. As a result, businesses are better prepared to attract group travel, collaborate on itineraries, and grow off-peak visitation—positioning the region as a more competitive, connected destination for the travel trade.
Read Full Article Here. |
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Travel Trade Insider Forum: Register Now! |
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RTO3 Hamilton Halton Brant is pleased to invite tourism businesses, stakeholders, and destination partners to the Travel Trade Insider Forum, a full-day capacity-building event designed to unlock new market opportunities and strengthen our region’s position in the domestic and international travel trade market. About the Forum This forum will introduce the value, structure, and opportunity of the travel trade sector, and how tourism operators and destinations can position their experiences to attract group, domestic, and international visitors. Whether you are new to travel trade or looking to expand into export markets, this session will provide practical insights, tools, and pathways to grow your business. What You’ll Learn ✔ What is Travel Trade, and why it matters now
✔ How to become market-ready to export-ready
✔ How to package and price your experience for buyers
✔ Understanding distribution channels - Group Tour, FIT, Domestic and International inbound markets
✔ How to work with tour operators, receptive operators, and partners
✔ How RTO3 is investing in Travel Trade growth across the region Featured Content & Speakers Travel Trade insights from Destination Ontario Industry experts in market development and distribution What industry buyers expect - what they look for in a sellable tourism package TIAC Export READI ™ program introduction RTO3 presentation on the Travel Trade Growth Strategy Introduction to the Travel Trade Industry Playbook (your new regional toolkit to support operators entering this market)
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Join Us: Rendez-vous Canada (RVC) Toronto 2026 - Floor Tour |
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RTO3 invites regional tourism operators, stakeholders, and DMOs to participate in an exclusive RVC 2026 Floor Tour in Toronto on Thursday, May 28, 2026. This guided tour offers a valuable behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s premier international travel trade marketplace, providing insight into how buyers and sellers connect, and how your business can grow within global distribution channels. Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026 Time: 10:30AM - 11:30AM Cost: Complimentary (travel at your own expense) Dress Code: Business dress required Register by: May 10th or until capacity reached [Space is extremely limited]
This initiative supports RTO3’s Travel Trade Growth Initiative, helping build export readiness and market access across the region. What is Rendez-vous Canada? Rendez-vous Canada is Canada’s signature international tourism marketplace where the international travel trade connects with Canada’s tourism industry partners. This annual event rotates across Canada and provides international tourism industry leaders an opportunity to meet one-on-one in the marketplace. Interested in attending?
Please email Bev Scott, Manager, Business and Visitor Experience Development at [email protected], to express your interest and reserve your spot. More information will be provided, once the time has been determined by the team at Rendez-vous Canada. Our plan is to travel by Go-Train as the marketplace takes place at the Toronto Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto. |
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RTO 3 Marketing: Your Game Day Getaway |
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This summer, the sporting world and the eyes of soccer fans would be on Canada! With Vancouver and Toronto playing host to 13 Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) games between the two cities, summer is winding up to be an exciting season for local soccer fans, and a rare tourism opportunity for not just the host cities, but surrounding regions and businesses as well.
Tourism research data gathered by Destination Ontario indicate that Nine in ten travellers say they are likely to explore other regions or destinations in Ontario outside of Toronto during their FIFA World Cup 2026™ trip. Over half (54%) are most likely to travel outside Toronto after the tournament ends. On average, visitors expect to stay 5.6 nights in Toronto, with European travellers planning longer stays, closer to seven nights. Beyond FIFA World Cup 2026™ Toronto activities, visitors show strong interest in food and drink experiences and sightseeing, followed by shopping, nightlife, relaxation, historic sites, and national or provincial parks.
RTO3 will leverage on this opportunity by running summer campaigns (June 1 to July 31) that highlight Hamilton Halton Brant as a vibrant region for international visitors to explore as well as a convenient escape for local Ontarians to enjoy in peace. The campaigns aim to inspire day trips and overnight stays before, during and after the matches with content showcasing all that our region has to offer alongside the convenience of public transport - everything a visitor needs to make the short trip from Toronto into the Heart of Ontario.
Jump on this opportunity to showcase your business, event, or summer activity to new audiences today. Simply complete the form via the button below and have your content listed on our website and social media channels this summer! |
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| Free Marketing Opportunities with RTO3 |
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With the peak travel season coming up, ensure your business listings are up-to-date on our visitor website theheartofontario.com and share what's happening in your business with our Marketing & Communications team so we can amplify your events, experiences, and offerings through our social media channels on Facebook and Instagram and our monthly e-newsletters!
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Get Listed on Our High-Traffic Consumer Website Take advantage of our consumer website traffic by creating a self-serve listing account. This free marketing opportunity allows eligible tourism-facing businesses to showcase their business, events, tours and experiences. Last year, over 330,000 unique visitors explored theheartofontario.com, generating 200,000+ partner listing views and 136,000+ direct referrals to tourism operator websites. |
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Keep Us Updated on What's New Share your business updates, special events, and new experiences directly with our marketing team. We regularly feature operator content across our email marketing (65,000+ subscribers) and social media platforms (67,000+ followers). This additional free opportunity allows us to promote your business to our engaged audiences at no cost. We encourage you to submit content to us regularly throughout the year! |
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