Area tourist operators are gathering at La Place Rendez-Vous here Wednesday for the annual meeting of the North Western Ontario Tourism Association (NWOTA).
The theme for the conference is “Present Economic Impact and Opportunities for the Future,” and falls at a time when the tourism industry is under pressure from a rising Canadian dollar and the lingering effects of the SARS crisis this past spring.
Central to the meeting no doubt will be the recently-released analysis, “The Economic Impact of Tourism in Sunset Country”—a lengthy, in-depth report commissioned last year by NWOTA.
The 50-page document is the result of a year of research, prepared by PNK Consulting and the Canadian Research Institute, which NWOTA hopes will persuade the provincial and federal governments to recognize the significant contribution tourism makes to the economy in Sunset Country.
The final report reveals, in part, that tourism in the region has been providing employment for almost 9,900 people in Sunset Country and infusing more than $306 million into the local economy.
Based on 2001 financial data provided by accommodation operators, tourism expenditures from both operations and capital expenditures also contributed:
•wages and salaries in excess of $282 million, of which $203 million were earned in Sunset Country; and
•$185 million in federal, provincial, and municipal taxes.
The report also found there are a total of 443 distinct, fixed-roof commercial accommodation providers in the area, providing a combined inventory of 6,459 units/rooms.
Each unit generated nearly $40,000 in 2001 alone—a year in which tourism and travel were seriously curtailed by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.
A breakdown of the origins of overnight guests showed 88 percent were Americans, with 27 percent from Minnesota and 61 percent from other states.
Canadian visitors accounted for 11 percent of overnight stays while the other one percent were people from other countries. Not surprisingly, the majority (87 percent) of these visits were in the second and third quarters of the year.
Perhaps the most significant statistic uncovered was that tourism in Sunset Country contributed more than $417 million to the Gross Domestic Product of Ontario, of which $288 million (69 percent) remained in the district.
Tourism also is estimated to have supported nearly 11,500 full-year jobs provincially and over 9,400 in Sunset Country. In direct employment, it was estimated that 379 (17.4 percent) full-year jobs were provided by First Nations.
All of these figures exceeded estimates by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation.
The conference got underway at 9 a.m. with a business meeting and runs all day, culminating with a banquet starting at 7 p.m. A performance by comedienne Zandra Bell will follow.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
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