Tourism Kingston

Tourism Kingston recently received two awards for our submission of the total solar eclipse event and campaign: the Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC) Marketing Canada Award for best promotional event and the silver award for Summit Creative Awards (integrated consumer campaign). Both recognize our successful efforts – and those of our partners – to leverage the 2024 solar eclipse to generate visitation to the city, making a positive impact in the shoulder season. The eclipse brought 74,000+ visitors to Kingston and generated a $25 M economic impact. View the EDAC submission: https://bit.ly/3ZW9fHf View the Summit Creative Award submission: https://bit.ly/4eFl5Kd (Summit Awards, Economic Developers Association of Canada (EDAC))

In partnership with Destination Ontario, we hosted The Weather Network to showcase the spooky season in Kingston. This destination broadcast includes seasonal attractions such as Fort Fright at Fort Henry, Ghost and Mystery Trolley with Kingston Trolley Tours, and Ghosts of the S.S. Keewatin: Tales from the Great Lakes with Haunted Walk. Additionally, we highlight accommodations, dining options, and year-round activities. Tune in to The Weather Network on Friday, October 11, from 6–9 am or 10 am–noon to discover what Kingston has to offer this fall.

Alison Migneault, MA, Chief Marketing Officer, will present at the regional Economic Developers Council of Ontario conference in Kingston this Thursday. "Developing your destination brand" explores the importance of place branding, how the Kingston brand was developed, and how the brand has evolved from tourism-focused to a place brand shared across partner agencies and projects.

Tourism Kingston would like to congratulate Heather Ford on winning a OHI Hall of Fame Award. The OHI Hall of Fame Award honours long-term hospitality leaders who have made significant contributions to the industry. What does Heather do in Kingston? So much! Heather owns and operates the Green Acres Inn, a local favourite and top-rated Kingston inn. With her son Daniel, Heather founded Kingston Food Tours, an offering that showcases Kingston's dynamic culinary scene. She also sits on various boards, including the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, Tourism Kingston, and Kingston Accommodation Partners, among many others. Heather is an innovative entrepreneur, a respected colleague, a generous mentor, and a powerful advocate. Thank you for the positive impact you continue to have on Kingston's hospitality industry!

JOB POSTING // Tourism Kingston is looking to hire for the Manager of Visitor Services position. In this position, you are responsible for the day-to-day management of Tourism Kingston’s visitor services, which include a physical Visitor Centre open seven days a week; online, phone, and email services; as well as satellite operations and special events support. The Manager oversees all daily operations, managing a team of engaged, customer-focused visitor services staff and delivering a high-quality, multilingual experience for visitors, residents, and tourism partners. The Manager of Visitor Services position requires a strong retail and customer service background. Bilingualism (English/French), with strong verbal and written abilities in both languages, is mandatory. Please submit applications to Brittney Veley, Operations and Human Resources Manager: brittney@tourismkingston.com. View more details: https://bit.ly/40ddiPF

A new sign honouring The Tragically Hip will be installed and unveiled on Sunday, October 6 at Slush Puppie Place (1 The Tragically Hip Way). Join The Tragically Hip and their families and community members for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3:30 pm. The space in the word 'HIP' allows people to step into it to become the I in HIP. The perfect opportunity for passionate Hip fans and visitors to honour the band and capture a memory at 1 The Tragically Hip Way, the site of The Hip’s final show on August 20, 2016, in Kingston.

Yesterday, we welcomed Pearl Mist cruise ship guests with a traditional Kingston welcome ceremony and shore excursions, including the S.S. Keewatin, Kingston Pen Tours, Fort Henry, Trolley Tours, and the Military Communications and Electronics Museum. The guests were greeted by 'All the Queen's Men, our local A Capella singing group from Queen's University, a bagpiper, and the Town Crier. Guests then tendered in to carry out their excursions throughout the day. The Pearl Mist will return in 2025 for an overnight visit at Port of Kingston.

This week, the EVENT, hosted by Meeting Professionals International (MPI), wrapped up in Kanata on Tuesday afternoon following two and a half days of insightful education and meaningful networking engagements. Tourism Kingston's Business Event Specialist, Ted Robinson met with 34 planners and event organizers during The Initiative, a hosted-buyer component of the EVENT, and took part in eight working group sessions focused on subjects like enhancing event impact, strategies for creating more sustainable events, improving local communities through event inclusion, and more. Thank you to MPI for elevating the EVENT and creating a new and meaningful national experience for business event professionals

Today we celebrate World Tourism Day and the positive impact all tourism sectors have on our community each year. From hotels to restaurants, attractions to events, we celebrate those who have dedicated their careers to welcoming visitors to Kingston. The sector locally is driven by a range of tourism experiences from visiting friends and family to motor coach tours, business meetings and sport events to film and music production – and tourism in Kingston happens year-round. Tourism is a key driver of Kingston’s economy. Kingston has one of the largest hospitality and accommodation workforces in Canada providing almost 9% of Kingston’s workforce or 15,000 tourism-related jobs. The RTO 9 region overall is home to 7,000 tourism businesses. 2023 by the numbers: $544 million economic impact 1.9 million visitors 628,300 room nights 51% overnight visitors 49% day visitors

It’s Lacrosse Day in Kingston! Lacrosse has been played in Indigenous communities since the 12th century, and on this day in Kingston, Ontario in 1867, Lacrosse Canada was established as the country’s first national sport organization. Today, we proudly welcomed the Honourable Gary Anandasangaree (federal minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations), Kahnawake and Akwesasne lacrosse players, coaches, legends of the game, the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation, and Lacrosse Canada, for a series of introductory lacrosse sessions and the unveiling of a commemorative bench and plaque at the INVISTA Centre. Throughout the day, on CaraCo Field, local youth are taking part in lacrosse programming led by our local Kingston Lacrosse Association, visiting Indigenous coaches including Louis Delisle (Tewenhni’tatshon), and Ottawa Black Bear player Dustyn Birkhof. The excitement of the day was amplified by the recent announcement that lacrosse will once again be played by women and men at the 2028 LA Summer Olympic Games, returning after 120 years. Lacrosse remains a significant part of many Indigenous cultures, with the Haudenosaunee Nationals competing internationally under their own flag. With the sport growing here in our region with the relocation of the NLL’s Ottawa Black Bears, the success of the Queen’s Athletics & Recreation lacrosse teams, and the strength of our local club, we are thrilled to see the sport celebrated and the history of the game marked with this ceremony under the importance of truth and reconciliation. We are grateful to the founders of the game and to those who gave their time and energy today to introduce young athletes to the sport and celebrate this monumental occasion!