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RTO 3 Hamilton Halton Brant Recognized Internationally & Survey |
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RTO3 has been named Tourism Leadership & Development Organization of the Year 2025 by International Explorer, an international publication focused on destination innovation and tourism leadership.
This recognition validates the organization’s strategic evolution over recent years from a primarily destination marketing function toward an integrated destination stewardship and development mandate. The award recognizes demonstrated impact in industry capacity-building, sustainability leadership, experience development, innovation, and partnership-driven investment. |
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RTO 3 Hamilton Halton Brant Questionnaire & Survey |
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NEW! Product Inventory Questionnaire
Help us build a current, region-wide inventory of tourism products and experiences across HHB! The information shared will support regional storytelling, marketing, product development, and long-term planning. Your Participation will help: Strengthen our competitive position in key markets Showcase what visitors can experience right now across the region Ensure your business is reflected in regional marketing and storytelling Identify gaps and growth opportunities Inform product development, clustering, and corridor strategies Support itinerary building and travel trade readiness Align industry efforts and strengthen partnerships Guide long-term planning, investment, and capacity building Directly hear from you, the tourism business operator and evaluate opportunities on your behalf
Take part in this Questionnaire by clicking here.
Resident Sentiment Survey
The Resident Sentiment Survey (RSS) is a region-wide initiative led by RTO3 to better understand how residents across Hamilton, Halton, and Brant experience tourism. This survey gives residents a direct way to share their perspectives — whether positive, negative, or mixed — so future tourism decisions reflect community priorities.
Who Can Participate Adults (18+) who live year-round in Hamilton, Halton, or Brant Residents from all communities, neighbourhoods, and backgrounds You do not need to work in tourism to participate
All responses are confidential and reported only in aggregate.
What to Expect ⏱️ Time: Approximately 5–8 minutes 🔒 Privacy: Your responses are anonymous and confidential 🗺️ Local focus: Questions reflect community-level impacts 📊 Purpose-driven: Designed to support better planning, not marketing
Click here to participate in your Local Survey today! |
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Upcoming Regional Ontario Motorcoach Association Workshops |
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RTO3, in partnership with our sub-regional DMOs and the Ontario Motor Coach Association (OMCA), invites you to participate in a series of in-person learning sessions focused on unlocking opportunities in the Group Tour and Motor Coach Market. If you are looking to diversify your revenue streams, fill shoulder season capacity, or better understand how to work with tour operators, this session is for you. What You’ll Gain Each half-day workshop will provide practical, actionable insights to help you: Understand how the group tour and motor coach market works Learn what buyers and coach operators are looking for Position and package your experience for group travel Identify new partnership and itinerary opportunities Build confidence and readiness to work within this market segment Network with like-minded business operators and your local DMOs
These sessions are designed to be practical, peer-focused, and locally relevant, with opportunities to ask questions and connect directly with industry experts and fellow operators.
March 31, 2026 – Halton 1:00PM – 4:00PM
TechPlace, 5151 New Street, Burlington April 1, 2026 – Brant 1:00PM – 4:00PM
Home2 Suites, Optimize Room – 27 Sinclair Boulevard, Building 2, Brantford April 7, 2026 – Hamilton 1:00PM – 4:00PM Tourism Hamilton Visitor Centre – Lister Block, 28 James Street N.
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SOTC: 2 Weeks Left to Register! |
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Black Tourism Alliance Ontario |
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RTO3 Hamilton Halton Brant is proud to be a member of the Black Tourism Alliance of Ontario (BTAO). Following the official launch of its website on January 29, BTAO continues its work to ensure Black tourism is recognized and properly resourced as a vital cultural and economic driver within Ontario’s tourism ecosystem.
If you are interested in becoming a member, please contact [email protected].
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RTO3 FIFA World Cup Regional Committee |
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The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be one of the largest global sporting events ever hosted, welcoming millions of visitors. With Toronto confirmed as a Host City, communities across Hamilton, Halton, and Brant are well-positioned to benefit from visitor spillover, extended stays, and increased global visibility.
RTO 3 has developed an industry-facing toolkit for tourism operators, municipalities, BIAs, attractions, accommodations, and cultural partners across the Hamilton Halton Brant Region (RTO3). The toolkit is designed to:
• Help local operators understand how the FIFA World Cup 2026™ may impact travel patterns in our region
• Identify realistic, business-ready opportunities before, during, and after the tournament
• Support coordinated planning across destinations, sectors, and communities • Encourage early preparation while respecting FIFA brand and trademark requirements |
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| Free Marketing Opportunities with RTO3 |
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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.
Your Winter Wanderland will be your one-stop guide for all things winter and cover everything from the many culinary events in January, Black History Month events in February, and Maple March and Family Break activities. 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. Our Gateway to an Ontario Getaway page remains active throughout the winter to promote Hamilton Halton Brant as a winter destination to audiences in Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax and beyond. |
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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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