The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) and Destination Ontario are excited to announce finalists for the Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence and the Tourism Marketing and Travel Media Awards of Excellence. 
Selected by independent committees of industry representatives, finalists for these awards showcase Ontario’s best tourism events, innovations, marketing campaigns, partnerships and more.
Award winners will be announced on October 23 at the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence gala evening. Hosted at Caesars Windsor as part of the Ontario Tourism Summit, supporters and conference delegates are invited to join in recognizing the achievements of this year’s exceptional group of finalists and congratulate recipients at an official gala celebration.
Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists!
TOURISM INDUSTRY AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE (TIAO)
| Tourism Innovator of the Year | Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board | Tourism Excellence North (TEN) | Waterloo Central Railway | ||
| Tourism Event of the Year | Karnival on the Kam (Fort William Historical Park) |
Ontario 150 Tour (Water’s Edge Festivals and Events) |
Pumpkinferno (St. Lawrence Parks Commission) |
THE POLAR EXPRESSTM Train Ride (Waterloo Central Railway) |
Winter Festival of Lights (Ontario Power Generation |
| Tourism Champion of the Year | Garry McColman | Gord Brown | Mark Baker | ||
| Tourism Employer of the Year | Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain | Temple Bay Lodge | Tourism Toronto | ||
| Sustainable Tourism Award | Cowbell Brewing Company | Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Reserve | Windmill Lake Wake and Eco Park | ||
| Accessible Tourism Award | Cowbell Brewing Company | Royal Ontario Museum | St. Lawrence Parks Commission | ||
| Indigenous Tourism Award | Point Grondine Park | Wikwemikong Tourism |
TOURISM MARKETING AND TRAVEL MEDIA AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE (DESTINATION ONTARIO)
| Tourism Marketing Campaign Award – Over $50K | “Off Ramp to Awesome” Campaign (Kingston Accommodation Partners) |
2017 Consumer Campaign (Ottawa Tourism) |
The Views Are Different Here (Tourism Toronto) |
| Tourism Marketing Campaign Award – Under $50K | Real Life Looks Different Here (Elmhirst’s Resort and Kawarthas Northumberland) | #MyHamilton User Generated Campaign (Tourism Hamilton) |
“Canuck It Up!” Festival Canadiana (The Town of Amherstburg) |
| Tourism Print Collateral Award | Bay of Quinte Discovery Guide (Bay of Quinte Regional Marketing Board) |
Makers Guide to Kingston (Kingston Accommodation Partners) | 2017 Wine Country Ontario Travel Guide (Wine Marketing Association of Ontario) |
| Tourism Digital Marketing Award | Real Life Looks Different Here Videography (Elmhirst’s Resort, Kawarthas Northumberland, Agency Next Door) |
Fresh Made Daily Digital Campaign (Kingston Accommodation Partners) |
Share Your Canada 150 (Explorers’ Edge) |
| Tourism Marketing Partnership Award | Brewery Discovery Routes 2017 (Brewery Discovery Routes) | Sea to Sky (Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and CN Tower) |
EPIC 1867 – Celebrating 150 Years of Winemaking in Essex County (Tourism Windsor Essex, Pelee Island and Essex Pelee Island Coast Winegrowers Association) |
| Travel Media Story Award | “From Bush Planes to Sacred Petroglyphs, Peterborough and the Kawarthas Offer a Fusion of Adventure, Recreation and Culture” (Michele Peterson) |
“A Pilgrimage to Cheese Country” (Karon Liu) | “Live Life on the Edge: Toronto is Buzzing for Country’s Anniversary” (Wendy Parsons) |
| Travel Media Photography Award | Mountain Life Magazine Fall 2017 Cover (Colin Field) |
Mountain Life Magazine Fall 2017 Snow Biker (Colin Field) |
Tom Thomson’s Gravestone at Leith Church (Gary Crallé) |
These awards represent two programs as part of the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence. Please be advised that finalists for the Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence are forthcoming, and that voting for Ontario’s Choice Awards is open until September 30.
Backgrounder:
The Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence recognize tourism industry successes by honouring organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to tourism in the province. Jointly presented by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), Destination Ontario, the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA) and Attractions Ontario, the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence are divided into four respective categories:
The Tourism Industry Awards of Excellence are presented to organizations, businesses and individuals that represent the quality of outstanding offerings that make Ontario a destination of choice.
The Tourism Marketing and Travel Media Awards of Excellence recognize those who contribute to Ontario’s tourism industry through impactful partnerships, marketing activities and media relations.
The Culinary Tourism Awards of Excellence celebrate the people and places across the province committed to building Ontario’s food identity, and showcasing the best of its food culture.
Ontario’s Choice Awards calls upon tourists and locals to vote for their favourite attractions in eight different categories; the overall top-voted attraction is named Attraction of the Year.
Tickets to the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence gala dinner and registrations for the 2018 Ontario Tourism Summit can be purchased at www.ontariotourismsummit.com
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