HomeMy WebLinkAboutHuron Expositor, 2015-06-24, Page 22 Huron Expositor • Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Tourism pumps $60 million into Huron County's economy annually: staff report
Marco Vigliotti
Postmedia Network
Tourism remains a major
contributor to the economy
of Huron County, with total
visitor spending topping
about $60 million each year,
according to county staff.
Purchasing advertising
space touting the area's sce-
nic coastline and rural char-
acter, however, is hardly the
sole approach being
explored by the county to
attract visitors.
The upper -tier municipal-
ity is turning towards alter-
native and cheaper avenues,
such as blogs and travel writ-
ers, to boost the profile of the
region marketed as 'Ontar-
io's West Coast; says Jenna
Ujiye, tourism marketer with
the county.
"The cost comparison for
a travel writer and an adver-
tisement is huge," she told
county council's committee
of the whole at its June 17
meeting about the benefits
of tapping into travel writers.
"As an example, a full-page
ad in the Globe and Mail this
Saturday in the travel edition
will cost approximately
$60,000, whereas a travel
writer's trip - which many
times we get a full-page story
(from) - costs less than
$1,000."
The county, Ujiye says,
also remains committed to
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bolstering its video and pho-
tography presence, with
tourism staff already pro-
ducing 50 videos that can be
of use to all its member
lower -tier municipalities to
promote the region.
Ujiye, along with tourism
coordinator Cindy Fisher,
were addressing the com-
mittee on their department's
annual tourism report,
which both summarizes
2014 activities and results,
and outlines the work plan
for the current year.
Statistics contained in the
most recent annual report
on the Ontario West Coast
website state that Huron
County attracts about 17
times its population in visi-
tors each year.
According to last year's
report, roughly 1 million
people visited the county in
2013, 45 per cent of which
stayed overnight.
About 46 per cent were
visiting friends or relatives,
the statistics show.
The breakdown of visitors
provided in the document
show that an overwhelming
number - 94 per cent - come
from Ontario, while only
four per cent hails from our
neighbour to the south, the
United States.
Roughly one-quarter of
those visiting from Ontario
are from Toronto, while
another 20 per cent are from
London and about 17 per
cent are from Kitchener/
Waterloo.
The amount of visitors
from the Greater Toronto
Area has increased by 23 per
cent since 2010.
Neighbouring counties
contribute a sizeable share
of visitors, with about 20 per
cent of the Ontario visitors
coming from Middlesex, 13
per cent from Bruce, six per
cent from Perth, three per
cent from Lambton and one
per cent from Wellington.
Those spending the night,
however, overwhelming opt
to stay in private homes or
cottages (67 per cent), the
report says, perhaps under-
scoring the region's cottage
country reputation.
Only 6.5 per cent stay at
private accommoda-
tions (hotels, motels, bed
and breakfasts and inns),
while four per cent choose to
camp in Huron County.
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