Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RTO4)

Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RTO4)

Travel Arrangements

Kitchener, Ontario 450 followers

Tourism Innovation

About us

Regional Tourism Organization Four Inc (RTO4), one of thirteen regional tourism offices established by the Ministry of Tourism Culture and Sport in the province of Ontario, has been called the “petri dish of tourism development in North America” by the Canadian Tourism Commission, specifically because of its innovative, analytical and non-traditional approach to growing tourism and economic development. With a $2 million budget, an office in Stratford Ontario and a small complement of staff (8), RTO4 is responsible for strategy and execution of various transient and group sport tourism initiatives throughout the year, in concert with its tourism partners and Destination Marketing Organizations from across Huron, Perth, Waterloo and Wellington.

Website
http://RTO4.ca
Industry
Travel Arrangements
Company size
2-10 employees
Headquarters
Kitchener, Ontario
Type
Government Agency
Founded
2011
Specialties
Tourism Development

Locations

Employees at Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RTO4)

Updates

  • What an achievement for Destination Stratford and the City of Stratford! While an initiative born out the height of the pandemic and its restrictions, Stratford Al Fresco has morphed into a key community asset that's resulted in investment for the city's outdoor spaces and added more options to the outstanding dining selections found in the city.

    View organization page for Destination Stratford, graphic

    299 followers

    Destination Stratford is thrilled to announce that the popular Al Fresco program has been approved to now be year-round and with fewer restrictions, providing local restaurants with a fantastic opportunity to offer outdoor dining experiences in public spaces throughout all seasons. Thanks to Stratford City Council’s unanimous vote to amend the necessary by-laws, we now have the flexibility to make this program available every day of the year. For the full update, please visit here: https://lnkd.in/g8bB2jHz

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  • 2024-2025 Partnership Launch RTO4’s Partnership Program is a co-investment initiative designed to foster tourism across our region, which includes Huron, Perth, and Wellington Counties as well as Waterloo Region.  The program offers funding streams tailored to support businesses and organizations that are part of the tourism ecosystem – attractions, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), festivals, events, trail organizations, restaurants, and accommodations. To be eligible for funding, applicants must be located within the RTO4 region, demonstrate that their business or project attracts visitors from at least 40 km away and that their proposed initiative will contribute to drawing more visitors or enhancing their experiences in a meaningful way.   We are looking for sound and innovative ideas supported by a strong case for investment and a clear demonstration of need. There are six streams this year: - Curated Storytelling - Influencer Storytelling - Get Certified! - Destination-Level Signage and Wayfinding - Curious and Captivating Placemaking - Meet the Expert Please review the application guides at https://lnkd.in/gYEezrQb. APPLICATIONS DUE NOVEMBER 30, 2024 at 5:00 PM.

    2024-2025 Partnership Launch - RTO4

    2024-2025 Partnership Launch - RTO4

    https://rto4.ca

  • Ontario’s last tourism strategy was developed by the Ministry of Tourism in 2016 through collaboration with industry stakeholders. Now, TIAO is proud to be leading the creation of a new strategy, and they need your input. This strategy will guide growth for the tourism sector, ensuring it is industry-led and market-driven. Your voice is crucial to ensuring that Ontario’s tourism industry not only recovers but thrives in the global market. Responders who complete the survey by November 1st will be entered into a draw for 1 of 5 free passes to either the IMPACT Sustainability Travel & Tourism | ONTARIO Regional Event - May 2025 or Ontario Tourism Summit - October 2025. https://lnkd.in/g2FD_S2J We truly appreciate your participation! 

    TIAO Tourism Strategy Survey

    TIAO Tourism Strategy Survey

    survey.crg.ca

  • RTO4 is inviting qualified applicants to submit proposals to conduct a supply-chain analysis for three destinations in the RTO4 region. The analysis will be used to inform progressive procurement and event-management policies that will assist in improving the regenerative performance of these destinations with a particular emphasis on directing procurement toward local suppliers.

  • RTO4 is seeking a researcher to conduct a comprehensive assessment of Indigenous tourism across Huron, Perth, and Wellington Counties, as well as the Waterloo Region. The research will focus on identifying current tourism activities, evaluating opportunities for growth, and gathering insights to support Indigenous-led tourism development within these areas. Visit https://lnkd.in/g4PtTPss to view the RFP.

    Contact Us - RTO4

    Contact Us - RTO4

    https://rto4.ca

  • The Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity will be hosting the Rural Talks to Rural 2024 Biennial Conference (R2R24) this October 16-18 in Blyth, Canada. Purchase your tickets today - https://lnkd.in/gK5acijV Learn more about the conference - https://lnkd.in/gSR44zUF

    🍎Facilitating meaningful conversations & connections that matter; harvesting collective wisdom through visual illustration🍎 At the Rural Talks to Rural 2024 Biennial Conference (R2R24) this October 16-18 in Blyth, Canada, we ask: how may we grow our capacity and courage to invite, host and harvest the conversations that matter at forefront of rural development? Stéphanie Heckman joins as the Lead Facilitator using Art of Hosting facilitation methodology. She will host in-person conference workshops with the support of Ailsa Clark and Casandra Bryant. She is also an incredible visual facilitator, bringing to life the conversations and collective wisdom that will be shared and gathered at R2R24. Stéphanie works internationally from Belfast, Northern Ireland. She distills the essence of complex collective conversations and translates these in real-time into hand-drawn visual summaries that help overcome language and knowledge barriers to engage a wider audience. She has 8 years of experience working as an independent visual practitioner, prioritizing work with organisations on climate action, peace & reconciliation and leadership development. She has collaborated with UN Climate Change to visually translate their highly technical conversations during the last three COPs, on topics ranging from collective progress towards the Paris goals, Indigenous involvement in the multilateral climate process, labour rights and just transitions, and the Ocean. ➡️ Learn more about Stéphanie - https://lnkd.in/g3hHXFX5 🎟 Purchase your ticket today - https://lnkd.in/gK5acijV #ruraltalkstorural #ruralcanada #ruralpolicy #ruralconference #conversationsthatmatter #artofhosting #artofparticipatoryleadership #collectivewisdom #communityengagement #ruralrenewal #ruralleadership #ccrc #ruralcreativity #organizationaldevelopment #socialempowerment #visualillustrationsforsustainability

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  • RTO4 recognizes that all digital applications have an environmental footprint, and as such, we have started thinking about and acting on the data we are storing, the platforms we are using, and the way we are presenting our information online.  Today we wanted to share the findings of our digital sustainability audit with Wholegrain Digital, where we received a B rating on our rto4.ca website. We will work through the findings and suggestions provided to us through this process to improve our digital footprint and therefore our carbon footprint. We are committed to educating and improving the digital sustainability of our region.

    View profile for Charlotte Moore, graphic

    Senior Manager of Digital Innovation | Tourism

    If we've chatted in the last year you know that Digital Sustainability has been on my mind. At the Regional Tourism Organization 4 Inc. (RTO4) we recognize that all digital applications have an environmental footprint. While we believe that leveraging digital has never been more important for Destinations and #Tourism entities, we also acknowledge that as the pace of digital advancement is continually evolving, especially with #AI, so too is the impact these digital technologies have on the sustainability of our planet. As someone who works in Digital, I could no longer ignore this increasingly invisible problem. Today, I wanted to share with you our work with Wholegrain Digital to undergo a #digital #sustainability audit of our RTO4 website. Through this process we discovered that our relatively small and compact B2B site has produced 4.4 kg of CO2 annually and 43 KWh of energy - which is just about equivalent to charging a smartphone 1,183 times. Our site received a B rating (pretty good!!) and we continue to work through the findings and suggestions to lower the carbon footprint of rto4.ca. Equally as important, through this learning we are able to put our new knowledge into practice while working with our Destinations and Partners. I'm posting this as a starting point and look forward to sharing more of what we are working on to come! But I leave you with a thought challenge - how do visitors actually access information online? How do they dream and discover and share - what do *they* (and you!) actually use and need and how can you streamline your digital products, services and marketing efforts accordingly? Don't do it just to say you did it and don't acquire it just to have it - because the impact is real. 🌟 🌍

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  • This summer Ontario Parks will be hosting two annual events to celebrate the benefits of spending time in nature through their Healthy Parks Healthy People (HPHP) program.  We are pleased to share these events with you. Ontario Parks HPHP Celebration Day: July 19, 2024 On July 19, 2024, Ontario Parks is opening its doors at provincial parks across Ontario to celebrate the importance of spending time in nature. There will be no charge for day use access to help visitors to enjoy a wide variety of healthy outdoor activities and special events.  To guarantee access, visitors are strongly encouraged to obtain a daily vehicle permit up to 5 days in advance of the July 19 celebration at no charge if planning on visiting one of the parks offering this service.  30X30 Nature Challenge: August 2024 The annual 30x30 nature challenge takes place throughout the month of August each year. This challenge helping people prioritize healthy connections with nature by encouraging visitors to spend thirty minutes a day outdoors, per day, for thirty days. We encourage participants to keep track of their journey on Facebook, Instagram, and X by sharing photos and stories with the #30x30Challenge hashtag. Head out to a park near you on #HPHP Day this July 19 to take part in one the many events planned to help you recharge: https://bit.ly/3zv5rBt

    Park Events

    Park Events

    ontarioparks.ca

  • On June 6, 2024 Premier Doug Ford announced changes to his Cabinet. The Cabinet now includes the ministers below for the tourism portfolio. - Stan Cho becomes Minister of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, with responsibility for OLG -Neil Lumsden becomes Minister of Sport Full announcement below. https://lnkd.in/eGrxUg6k

    Premier Ford Renews Team that is Rebuilding Ontario’s Economy | Ontario Newsroom

    Premier Ford Renews Team that is Rebuilding Ontario’s Economy | Ontario Newsroom

    news.ontario.ca

  • The Ontario government is investing more than $8 million over the next three years to support cultural tourism in communities across the province. OCAF provides support to cultural tourism events that range in size from large art and music festivals to smaller events that celebrate local Ontario culture and heritage. OCAF continues to accept applications for new events and offers applicants flexibility regarding project timing and scope. Please visit the OCAF website for more information and to view the full list of recipients.

    Ontario Supporting Local Cultural Tourism Events | Ontario Newsroom

    Ontario Supporting Local Cultural Tourism Events | Ontario Newsroom

    news.ontario.ca

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