Ontario's Brewery Awards 2017

On April 27th, Brewers from across the province gathered for the Ontario Brewing Awards where winners were chosen from 40 different categories. The 7 winners from our region are: Bayside Brewing Co., FRANK Brewing Co., Railway City Brewing Co., Forked River Brewing Co., The Blue Elephant Craft Brew House, New Limburg Brewing Co., and Walkerville Brewery.

Congratulations to all winners!

For more information, visit the website here.

Accessibility for Ontarian's with Disabilities

A guide for tourism operators in Ontario's Southwest has been developed, outlining the Accessibility for Ontarian's with Disabilities Act and how to fulfill all requirements. To read all about it and ensure you're in compliance, click here. 

Stakeholder Input Needed!

Are you a tourism operator who would like to share insights and opportunities with us? Ontario's Southwest is looking for tourism stakeholders around the region to provide input into the development of our strategic plan. If you're interested, please let us know by contacting admin@swotc.ca by Monday, May 15 2017. We thank all those interested and will be selecting a few operators to represent a collection of perspectives from our region.

National Tourism Week

Tourism week in Canada (May 28th - June 3rd) brings attention to the different economic opportunities our country has to offer and the benefits of our tourism industry. In celebration of this, Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is encouraging "staycations" to support the local economy! What are you doing to celebrate?  Is there anything we can do to help promote your efforts? Let us know at krystal@swotc.ca

Deadline Extended - 2017 Middlesex County Tourism Symposium

Join us on Tuesday, May 16th for the "Power in Partnering" Tourism Symposium hosted by Middlesex County. Learn how to get the most out of Middlesex's tourism resources and ways to partner with Ontario's Southwest while connecting with friends! Tickets are FREE for Middlesex County Tourism Providers and $40 for Regional Tourism Partners.

Tickets are going fast! Click here to register today.

The Impending Hotel Tax

With the release of the 2017-18 provincial budget, a new hotel tax has been proposed that will be applied to every hotel room throughout the province. This new tax has the potential to increase the prices of vacations and ultimately impact small business owners.

To read about the Greater Toronto Hotel Association's response to the New Tax on Hotels, click here.

Workforce Survey

Ontario’s Southwest offers workforce training for tourism stakeholders. What are your training needs for 2017 and 2018?  Please take a couple minutes to let us know here.

London Beer & BBQ Show

Ontario's Southwest will be coordinating an OSW Pavilion for the London Beer & BBQ Show happening June 16-18, 2017 at the Western Fair District.

The cost of a 10' x 10' booth space would be maximum $510 compared to $620+HST if you were to go in on your own. This price may be reduced further using partnership funds, however it is too early to confirm costs at this point.

If you’re interested in participating, please contact JT Uppal at jt@swotc.ca as soon as possible.

Annual General Meeting

Our AGM will take place on Wednesday, June 14th at the Elmhurst Inn and Spa with lunch at noon, followed by a brief business meeting. If interested in attending lunch, please contact June Nussey at june@swotc.ca to ensure there is food for everyone!

OSW - Open, Safe and Welcoming

OSW is an acronym we use for Ontario's Southwest but it can also stand for "Open, Safe and Welcoming". With all of the unrest in our world today, it's important that here, in our region, we are a destination that people don't have to worry about coming to. In a time of unease, let us continue to extend our welcoming hand and truly show what it is we have to offer.