A statistical report on the local tourism industry that was two years in the making yielded few surprises but much talk of a promising future at last Wednesday’s annual fall conference of the North Western Ontario Tourism Association at La Place Rendez-Vous here.
The report—compiled with the help of 11 different organizations, including NWOTA, and overseen by the consulting firm of Pannell Kerr Forster—was created using the responses of the 77 out of 85 business owners surveyed who supplied information.
The extensive document dealt with everything from occupancy rates at local resorts to the number of First Nations employees working in the tourism industry in this area.
“It’s wonderful to have it done,” said Geoff Gillon of the Rainy River Future Development Corp. “The industry people should be commended for participating in such a constructive manner.
“And the big thing is, we’ve got some positive numbers to deal with.”
“I like the numbers,” said NWOTA director Dennis McDougall, who owns Pier North Marina in Morson. “It shows how big the tourism industry is in this district, and as an industry, in general.”
NWOTA president Tom Pearson, owner of Camp Narrows Lodge on Rainy Lake, wasn’t overly surprised by the numbers presented, except for the discovery that 82 percent of the local tourism businesses are Canadian-owned.
“That in opposition to the people in the area who think all the money is going to the U.S.,” said Pearson. “This proves it’s staying here, and being spent in Sunset Country.”
Pearson said the fact occupancy rates were pegged at only 55 percent show the amount of growth possible if area tourism operators find the formula to attract more visitors.
“Reaching a goal of 70-75 percent would be awesome,” he remarked. “It’s a great industry already. Imagine if you add 25 percent growth to that.
“That means not only more jobs in our industry, but others, too, such as goods and construction,” he added. “It creates a real ripple effect.”
Pearson feels the numbers also will help set some better guidelines for those in the tourism business to deal more effectively with the federal government in trying to strengthen their industry.
“Now we can measure our growth in the next few years, which will make dealing with the government much easier,” said Pearson, who cited border issues involving U.S. visitors as still being a sore spot for tourism operators.
“It’s time for the government [to realize] they can’t treat us like that,” he argued. “The border situation has certainly got worse for me. I had people sent back this summer.”
The negative perspective that Pearson said is held by some of the public in viewing the tourism industry also needs to be altered, in his opinion.
“The more money we bring into the economy, the better the economy does, and the better it is for everybody,” he reasoned.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
