SDG – Using funding from the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund from the federal government, SDG Tourism is mailing its SDG Discover Guide to residents of SDG and Cornwall.
Nick Seguin, manager of economic development for the counties, told SDG council at their July 20th meeting that the initiative, backed by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, will be used to send out the SDG Discover Guide to over 50,000 households in the United Counties and in the City of Cornwall. The direct mail initiative will also include a letter from Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MP Eric Duncan, and an insert from Cornwall Tourism.
The mailing is supported by Duncan and his constituency office. A supplementary direct mail initiative in North Glengarry will also be done as that municipality is not part of MP Duncan’s riding.
Tourism in Ontario is a $75 billion industry according to the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries. A recent survey by the ministry pointed to the economic recovery for the tourism industry to pre-COVID-19 levels may take up to five years.
Part of the provincial government’s initial strategy for domestic tourism is to promote hyper-local tourism.
SDG received over $78,000 funding. Part of the funding has been used to hire two summer students as Tourism Cycling Ambassadors.
The students will cycle the waterfront trail, interacting with cycling visitors and promoting tourism in SDG.
SDG Tourism is outfitting the students with its Ride with GPS platform to map out cycling tours to bring visitors in from the waterfront trail to other parts of the counties.
The balance of the funding will be used for online, social media campaigns and digital content for the SDG Tourism website.
This story was originally appeared in and was produced for The Morrisburg Leader.
