Outdoor adventures drive tourism in northern Ont.

Travel and tourism operators across northern Ontario say more and more visitors are choosing this region for their vacations.

Now that summer is here, travel and tourism have kicked into high gear. Tourism industry operators in northern Ontario say more and more visitors are choosing this region because outdoor experiences are topping the list for travellers -- and this region has those in spades.

“We’re seeing a lot of individuals having that love for nature and they want to get outdoors,” said Sara Currier with Destination Northern Ontario, which promotes tourism in the region.

“The leisure market is definitely a top priority for folks in northern Ontario.”

Currier said tourists spent $3.1 billion last year, with increases in both domestic and international visitors.

“In general, for Canadians they’re ready to roam. They want to keep their adventures close to home especially,” she said.

All this bodes well for communities in the northeast.

“It’s going to be a wildly unexpected summer in Sudbury,” said Lara Fielding, manager of tourism and culture for the City of Greater Sudbury.

That is the new slogan for the city’s tourism rebrand announced a month ago. Fielding said the response has been positive and tourists are taking notice.

“They can’t believe how much Sudbury has changed,” she said.

“We hear that time and time again — how green we are. We offer everything from outdoor adventure to culture to culinary to unique experiences and our attractions.”

Sunset over Lake Nipissing

Other northern cities are marketing the outdoors, as well, including North Bay, which launched a tongue-in-cheek campaign in May, joking the city has ‘nothing, nowhere, everywhere.’

“A sunset over Lake Nipissing -- that is an absolute ‘must have, must do’ when you do come and visit us,” said Tanya Bedard, executive director of Tourism North Bay.

“Because we are nestled in two freshwater lakes, there are a lot of outdoor activities to be able to enjoy.”

“That is something that we do push to our market who are interested in coming to visit us in North Bay, is of course taking advantage of all the outdoor amenities,” Bedard added.

The culinary scene in northern Ontario is also cooking up big business.

“When we have visitors coming -- whether it’s for conferences, meetings, travel media or sport -- they can’t believe our local restaurants and the food scene that we have,” Fielding said of the Sudbury food tourism scene.

“There’s just so much here in the north that checks so many boxes for folks. It really all depends on your interests,” Currier said.