We are very excited to announce that our two most recent BC "Spark" Program rounds are now complete and all winners have been awarded seed grants and have been matched with mentors.

To learn more about our BC "Spark" Program winners and their new tourism ideas visit our website. ​

Travel and learn through Indigenous stories! 

Our friends at Indigenous Tourism BC have launched an exciting new app to connect users to a growing library of songs, legends, and languages showcasing diverse and unique Indigenous cultures across BC.

For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have passed on their stories, songs, languages, and histories through oral traditions. 

It's not too late to apply to the Simcoe County "Spark" Mentorships & Grants Program! The deadline is Thursday, May 12 and the application is short and simple.

Entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profits are encouraged to come forward with creative ideas that will generate new tourism opportunities, offerings, experiences and partnerships in the region.

Selected applicants will receive a $3,000 seed grant, mentorship and additional partner support to help them get started with their new tourism ideas.

For more information and to watch a recording of a recent Info Session go to
www.tourisminnovation.ca/SimcoeCounty
​​

Exciting news, Peterborough & the Kawarthas!

The Lab and our partners Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism officially announced the Peterborough & the Kawarthas "Spark" Mentorships & Grants Program last week!

Entrepreneurs, small businesses and non-profits are encouraged to come forward with creative ideas that will generate new tourism opportunities, offerings, experiences and partnerships in the region.

Selected applicants will receive a $3,000 seed grant, mentorship and additional partner support to help them get started with their new tourism ideas.

For more information and to register for an upcoming Info Session visit www.tourisminnovation.ca/peterborough. The application deadline is May 31.

Don't forget to register for our upcoming "Spark" Info Session:
​Thursday, May 12 @ 11:30am ET

This video features Jakob and Stephanie Vogel, one of our three 2020 Cornwall & SDG Counties "Spark" Program winners.

They successfully launched a new agritourism destination in SDG Counties called Fields of Gold.

If you are thinking about applying to our Simcoe County or Peterborough & the Kawarthas "Spark" Programs, check this video out!

In February 2022, our parent organization Hackforge launched C3Tech in collaboration with The City of Windsor Bicycle Committee, the County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS), and local technology consulting firm Parallel 42 Systems. The Tourism Innovation Lab is excited to support and collaborate on this initiative that will create digital tools to enhance cycle tourism development, planning and navigation in our home region of Windsor Essex. 

Short for “City-County Cycling Technology,” C3Tech aims to leverage open source software to create digital tools that will make navigating Windsor and Essex County by bike safer, easier, and more fulfilling. The starting points for these tools are currently available at WindsorEssexCycling.ca, and are based on CyclOSM and BRouter.

Starting May 1, 2022, Hackforge is hosting a month-long hackathon, during which individuals and teams will develop proof-of-concept versions of their ideas. Experts in various disciplines will be available to assist and advise teams as they complete their projects.

Hackathon Registration is now open! Complete this form​ to express your interest in participating!

Ontario Culture Days​ annual symposium returns June 8 & 9, 2022.

ON-Ramp: New Horizons in Cultural Tourism will take place in-person, with key presentations streamed online. Come listen to experts and participate in workshops on regenerative tourism, diversity and inclusion, and effective business and program planning strategies.

The symposium will explore how our sectors can improve the cultural tourism industry for visitors, employees, artists, cultural producers and our local communities. 

Register here: https://onculturedays.ca/on-ramp-new-horizons-in-cultural-tourism/

Building Inclusive Tourism

Join the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario by registering for each webinar in their monthly series on Building Inclusive Tourism. On Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 12PM, they are presenting "Job Vacancies? Consider the Disability Talent Pool".

Session Information: 

Hiring people with disabilities isn’t “doing the right thing.”  It’s “doing the right thing for business.”  The true value for organizations doesn’t come from ticking the right boxes, but from accessing the benefits of an inclusive environment.  

The business opportunity is irrefutable. Employing people with disabilities means better performance.  There is not one industry in which people with disabilities are unable to work. There are as many opportunities as there are businesses, and you can access work-ready individuals who are prepared to positively contribute to their communities, often without extra costs on accommodations. You can broaden your pool of skilled candidates across all industries by including people with disabilities.  

You won’t have to lower the bar – just open your door a little bit wider.

Experts:  

- Fatima Finnegan, Vice President, Workforce Initiatives & Industry Relations, ORHMA
- Donald Guse Salah, Program Manager for the Discover Ability Network, Ontario Chamber of Commerce
- Liana Carniello, Director, Human Resources, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel

Register here: https://www.tiaontario.ca/cpages/building-inclusive-tourism

The Ontario LGBT+ advisory team is developing a strategy to enhance Ontario’s status as a destination for LGBT+ travellers. Please complete the survey and share with your networks and contacts who may be able to give input; the industry's and other allied voices will be instrumental to the development of this strategy which will guide decisions on LGBT+ product for Ontario.

Click here to complete the survey.

The "Spark" Mentorships & Grants Program​ will be expanding to new regions in British Columbia and Ontario 2022. Stay tuned for announcements. 

​Join our "Spark" Mentor Network and support up-and-coming and early stage tourism innovators in Canada by providing advice and guidance to help them take their new tourism ideas to the next level of development. Contact us at [email protected]​ for more information on the program and how you can be a mentor.