Tourism 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!

From September 27–29, Moira Demorest, Music Officer, is attending POP Montreal. POP Montreal is an international festival celebrating music, film, visual art, symposiums, and other engaging programming. Moira will connect with industry professionals and attend events throughout the festival. On September 27, POP Montreal will spotlight Kingston’s music scene with a unique showcase featuring performances by Luella, The Petras, and Almond Milk, along with special guest and honorary Kingstonian Mint Simon. Are you attending POP Montreal? Book tickets for the Kingston showcase performance: https://lnkd.in/gthj6sK2

Last week, the team had lunch at The Royal Hotel Picton and connected with the Visit The County in Prince Edward County (PEC). Noelle Piche, Travel and Tourism Development Specialist, and Ella Wang, International Travel Trade Coordinator, travelled to different sites to collect information for their upcoming regional FAM tours, the Kingston Film and Media team visited potential locations to add to the Locations Database, and Ashley Bradshaw, Destination Development Manager, and Emily Carlson, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, visited locations to discuss regional partnership opportunities. Thank you to everyone we met with in PEC for taking the time to connect!!

Meeting Professionals International (MPI) are hosting the inaugural national version of the Event, and Tourism Kingston is there. Business Events Specialist, Ted Robinson arrived in Kanata on Sunday for “The Initiative Business Exchange”, a series of 25 speed networking appointments with hosted planners. It was the first of three days of events attended by MPI members from across Canada. The Event is another fantastic opportunity to showcase all that Kingston offers as a premier business event destination and to generate new meeting and conference business for the months and years ahead.

Thank you to Christopher Marz, (CHA), Dual General Manager and Megan Wheeler, Director of Sales and Marketing at DoubleTree and Home2 Suites by Hilton Kingston, for inviting the Tourism Kingston and Kingston Accommodation Partners team for a site visit this week. Tourism Kingston values your partnership. We look forward to continuing our work together, promoting short- and long-term stays, meetings and events, and other group travel in Kingston.

This week, from September 17–19, Megan Knott, Chief Executive Officer of Tourism Kingston is attending the Skift Global Forum, a premier thought leadership conference in New York City. This conference focuses on global travel. Throughout the conference Megan will attend discussions and presentations, and have the opportunity to network with peers from across the travel industry.

Today, from 10 am–3 pm, Business Events Specialist, Ted Robinson, is attending the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Networking & Education Day in Montreal. At this networking opportunity, Ted will get the chance to share what Kingston has to offer. After meeting with Ted, attendees can stamp their event passport to win the Kingston prize, a one-night stay at the recently reimagined Marriott Hotel Kingston and a Kingston Makers Box filled with wonderful items from local artisans. If you're attending this convention, please stop by the Kingston table to discuss all the exciting event options available in the Limestone City.