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Home My WebLink AboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-08-19, Page 9Best year for tourism since 2006 Dominique signal -star staff After weekends like .the last two, it's easy to see that people are still visiting Goderich.. Over the course of the Celtic Roots Festival's weeklong college and festival, approximately 13,000 filled up every town crevice, adding to an already better-than-expected tourist season. The 18th annual Goderich Triathlon pulled in more than 100 as well. According to Tourism Manager Bob Marshall, the worrisome eco- nomic downturn had a pleasant sur- prise in store for the community — visitors traveling closer to home. Goderich has so far experienced its best tourism season since 2006, Marshall said, with a 22 per cent in- crease in Tourist Information Centre (TIC) visits over last year. He says it's thanks in part to the North American purse -tightening in reaction to the global recession. Vis- itors, he said, are exploring their own backyards. As a result, Goderich has welcomed an influx of day-trippers from larger southwestern Ontario centres, like Stratford, London, and Kitchener/Waterloo. "We're seeing more people take local trips. Some of these people have in the past frequented places like Muskoka, or Eastern Ontario, and have just begun to look this way." What's down, however, is the number of American visitors from U.S. border communities. Residents who keep an eye out for flashy state- side license plates may have had a slow year. A leisurely drive along Goderich's shoreline this summer has more often than not been pep- pered with a steady stream of Yours to Discover in white and blue. "We're not without American visitors, and ironically the ones we've seen are coming from farther away," Marshall said. "Typically we welcome a lot of visitors from Michigan, a pretty close state, but Photo by Dave Sykes Goderich's beaches continue to be the top drawing -point, and tour- ist destination, according to Bob Marshall. He added this has been a good year for swimming. this year we're seeing a few people come from more southern areas." Gauging Goderich's tourism in- take isn't as easy as entry -point head - counting. The TIC generates their statistics from those who act,.ally visit the centre, and Marshall added, when the weather is nice, people of- ten skip the stop, and head straight for the beach. "When it's a hot summer, we don't see as many people stopping in here as we do during rainier summers like this one has been," he said. "When there are cloudy days, that's when people stop in to check out what there is to do away from the sand." After more than 30 years on the job welcoming visitors to Canada's Prettiest Town, Marshall said he has learned almost all there was about Goderich visitors. But, times are changing, he said, and visitors are changing, too. "I've learned that our visitors are becoming more discriminat- ing in their expectations," he said. "They're expecting more from their visit and their money. They want to be treated well, and if that's not the • case, they're not coming back." Goderich works in part with com- munities along Ontario's West Coast to promote the area as a whole. DONNELLY DM MURPHY We are pleased to announce Phil Smith, B. MATH has joined the law offices of Donnelly & Murphy as a Student -at -law Phone: (519) 524-2154 Fax: (519) 524-8550 email: admin@dmlaw.on.ca 18 The Square, Goderich, Ontario, N7A 3Y7 A Tradition of Results Marshall added that getting visi- tors here is only half the battle. The rest involves the entire community working to keep them here. "We always hear about how friendly a place Goderich is. Resi- dents seem willing to go above and beyond, and our special events and festivals are big assets." Filling in the cracks, he said, is something the entire community can do. "We can get them up to The Square, and a little welcome sign and hello helps get them in the stores." While local accommodation re- mains in good -shape, the Labour Day Fastball Tournament and West Coast Bluesfest are two of the hot - items for Goderich to look forward to as summer winds down. Marshall and his staff at the TIC are work- ing six -months in advance to set the wheels in motion for another festive holiday season, and residents and visitors alike can look forward to the upcoming launch of the town's new web site at www.goderich.ca. Work is currently underway to re- vamp the virtual information centre to include municipal and tourism resources in a more user-friendly presentation. The site is expected to launch some time in September. Goderich Signal -Star, Wednesday, August 19, 2009 - Page A9 WEEKENDS IN THE PARK FARMER'S MARKET Fresh Ontario Grown Fruits and Vegetables •Handmade Local Crafts •Honey & Maple Syrup •Homemade Baking •Flowers & Plants •Fresh Meats For -more info call 524-5356 SATURDAYS 8amtol pm 14 South Side Courthouse lq.0,0447 Did you know... there are GODERICH 0 FLEA MARKET ( Previously held at Huron County Gaol ) Unique items including new & used, books, jewellery, golf clubs, tcys, trading cards, collectibles, produce & plants and more! For more info call 524-5356 SUNDAYS 9amto3pm ""' South Side Courthouse over 650 focally based employees working in downtown Goderich. THE HURON -PERTH CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD ,•• 1 STUDENT REGISTRATION Parents may contact the following schools to register their children in Catholic education during the week of August 24 to 28. 2009 or on the second day of school. Wednesday. September 2, 2009. SECONDARY Perth County: St. Michael Catholic Secondary School 240 Oakdale Avenue Stratford, ON N5A 7W2 Telephone: 519-271-0890 Huron County: St. Anne's Catholic Secondary School 353 Ontario Street Clinton, ON NOM 1L0 Telephone: 519-482-5454 ELEMENTARY Huron County: St. Columban School Our Lady of Mount Carmel School St. Joseph's School Precious Blood School *St. Mary's School St. James School Sacred Heart School St. Boniface School Perth County: St. Patrick's School St. Patrick's School Holy Name of Mary School St. Mary's School *Jeanne Sauves School St. Ambrose School St. Joseph's School St. Aloysius School St. Columban Mount Carmel Clinton Exeter Goderich Seaforth Wingham Zurich Dublin Kinkora St. Marys Listowel Stratford Stratford Stratford Stratford 519-345-2086 519-237-3337 519-482-7035 519-235-1691 519-524-9901 519-527-0321 519-357-1090 519-236-4335 519-345-2033 519-393-5580 519-284-2170 519-291-3000 519-273-3396 519-271-7544 519-271-3574 519-271-3636 *Jeanne Sauve and St. Mary's, Goderich are French Immersion. For more information, please go to www.hpcdsb.edu.on.ca. Jim McDade, Martha Dutrizac, Chairperson of the Board Director of Education Sensational Summer Savings! $1 35 1 ;i Silhouette® window shadings Only Silhouette window shadings have soft fabric vanes suspeided between sheer knit facings to create an infinite range of Tight intensities. HunterDouglas hunterdouglas.ca Beauty that is blinding I3. BLI For your complimentary In-home consultation Paul & Finola MacGinty 5273