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Ontario Tourism Strategy Launched
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Last Monday, August 11, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) officially launched the Ontario Tourism Strategy – a bold, forward-facing blueprint designed to drive long-term growth, investment, and collaboration across the province.
After months of consultation with thousands of tourism stakeholders, the strategy presents a united vision for a more competitive, sustainable, and inclusive visitor economy. It’s time to move from recovery to renewal and build a tourism future that reflects the full potential of Ontario’s people, places, and experiences.
RTO3 is committed to advancing the goals in this province-wide strategy and advancing Hamilton Halton Brant into a stronger, more resilient future.
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2025/26 Partnership Funding Program Intake 2: Still Open!
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Our 2025/26 Partnership Funding opportunities are still available. Applications must be submitted via our Google forms that are open until October 28, 2025; or until capacity is reached. Multiple applications are allowed and partnerships will be awarded subject to availability, program fit and equitable distribution of funds.
Shoulder Season Experience Development
Looking to extend your business season by creating experiences in November through April? RTO3 matches your investment to develop shoulder season offerings to attract visitors year-round.
Certification Support
Build business credentials with nationally recognized certifications that appeal to specific visitor markets. RTO3 covers 50% of first-year certification costs for: Rainbow Registered by Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce, Feast On®
by Culinary Tourism Alliance, and Ontario By Bike registered.
Travel Influencer Marketing
Planning to work with travel influencers? Partner with us to stretch your budget through cost-sharing and create more authentic content for their followers.
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Co-op Advertising: Paid Social Media Campaign
Double your marketing budget with our social media advertising partnership, driving traffic to your business for up to 8 weeks with expert campaign management. Please note that the campaign must be at least 8 weeks from your application date.
Photography Asset Development
Ready to refresh your visual storytelling? Partner with professional photographer Damian Dudek of Dudek Photography to capture premium-quality images of your business, products, or events at a special discounted rate.
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RTO3 Certification Support Information Webinar
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Join us virtually on Tuesday, September 16 between 9:00 am to 2:00 pm for an information webinar on our Product Development partnership opportunities (Shoulder Season Experience Development & Certification Support).
Learn about our Shoulder Season Experience Development, and each of the certifications and how being Feast On® Certified, Rainbow Registered, or registered with Ontario By Bike can help you reach new audiences and open new opportunities. The webinar is an open meeting room and partners can join and leave at their convenience based on which opportunity they are interested to learn about.
Agenda
9:00 to 10:00 am – Shoulder Season Experience Development – Bev Scott, RTO3
10:30 to 11:30 am – Certification by Ontario by Bike – Maureen Beatty, RTO3
11:45 am to 12:45 pm – Rainbow Registered – Victoria Wicks, CGLCC
1:00 to 2:00 pm – Feast On® – Rebecca Mackenzie, CTA
RTO3 will then assist you in taking the next step in developing a shoulder season experience, or by covering 50% of your first-year certification fees if you are eligible for certification.
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2025 Regional Tourism Awards
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The annual RTO3 Regional Tourism Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of individuals, organizations, and businesses that drive innovation, collaboration, and sustainability in our tourism sector.
The program opens for applications and nominations each fall, with submissions closing at the end of November. Winners and finalists will be honoured at our annual Southern Ontario Tourism Conference in London next March.
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Know of a tourism product, activity, experience or business development this year that could be worthy of taking home a 2025 award? Be sure to submit an application, or even nominate a worthy business this fall!
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Ontario Tourism Education Corporation: Women in Leadership
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Join the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation(OTEC) on September 10th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm for the next installment of their Women in Leadership Series: Your Voice, Your Power: Cultivating Self-Advocacy. This session equips women with the tools to advocate effectively for themselves in the workplace. Participants will learn to recognize their value, communicate their needs confidently, master negotiation skills for career advancement, and build alliances to amplify their voice and achieve their goals.
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A Year of Anniversaries in Hamilton Halton Brant
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This year marks a special milestone for several outstanding organisations across Hamilton Halton Brant, and we’re thrilled to celebrate their remarkable achievements. These anniversaries mark decades of dedication to enriching our regional tourism landscape and creating memorable experiences for both visitors and residents alike.
Celebrating 50 Years:
Marking Important Milestones:
- The Sound of Music festival celebrated 45 years of bringing free music, festival food, and family entertainment to Spencer Smith Park in Burlington
These milestone celebrations showcase the collaborative spirit and diverse experiences that make Hamilton Halton Brant a thriving destination. As we look ahead, RTO3 remains committed to supporting these valued partners and all our tourism operators for many more years of shared success in building our region’s vibrant tourism community.
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Free Marketing Opportunities with RTO3
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Fall Campaign 2025
Our fall campaign, running from August 25 to November 14, will focus on three key themes that align with current domestic travel preferences and highlight the strengths of our region throughout the season.
Flavour Routes: Autumn Edit. and Fall Flavour Finds showcase the culinary experiences and delicious flavours across the region
Fall for it All celebrates autumn in the heart of Ontario as a season of vibrant colour, outdoor adventures and cozy experiences as the weather begins to cool.
Explore Proudly and Visit Responsibly continues to invite visitors to become part of our region’s story through respectful, responsible travel that protects natural spaces while supporting local cultures and businesses.
Campaign activities utilize our always-on content strategy—including website content updates, email marketing, increased activity in our social media channels as well as a paid social media campaign. Through partnerships with Destination Ontario, the Globe and Mail, and 13 regional tourism partners, we will showcase our region as the premier tourism destination in Ontario.
We are also happy to partner with John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) to run marketing campaigns in Calgary, Edmonton and Halifax – bringing awareness to these audiences of the newly expanded and direct air routes to the airport and position Hamilton Halton Brant as their Gateway to an Ontario Getaway.
It’s not too late to get involved! 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 (65,000+ followers). This additional free opportunity allows us to promote your business to our engaged audiences at no cost to you! We encourage you to submit content to us reguarly throughout the year!
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