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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-10-21CLARINGTON TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE Members Present: Regrets: Staff: Meeting Minutes October 21, 2021, 9AM Teleconference Petra Schwirtz, Vice Chair Laura Holmes Councillor Ron Hooper Amy Verwey Christine McSorley Marsha Carbon Fred Archibald, Chair Bonnie Wrightman, CBOT Rita Smith Brandon Pickard Evan King Ashlee Kielbiski, Temporary Tourism Coordinator and Staff Liaison Lee -Ann Reck, Client Services Manager 1. Call to Order o Meeting was called to order 9:02 AM 2. Adoption of Agenda Moved by, Marsha Carbon, seconded by, Christine McSorley That the agenda for October 21, 2021, be adopted. Carried 3. Approval of August 31, 2021, Meeting Minutes Moved by, Christine McSorley, seconded by, Marsha Carbon: That the meeting minutes of August 31, 2021, be approved. Carried 4. Pecuniary Interest/Conflict of Interest o N/A 5. Presentation by Marsha Carbon on Community Development Tourism • Ms. Carbon shared her expertise as a Professor at St. Lawrence College in Community Development Tourism. Her presentation examines the development of local communities through the healthy integration of community planning, business planning, and tourism planning • Ms. Carbon shared the importance of understanding what makes communities unique, this includes doing a community assessment. • A community -based tourism study conducted in 2014 showcased that people mainly travel for scenery, parks, outdoor recreation, special events, and festivals and visit friends and family. • Ms. Carbon shared some positive economic impacts of tourism. These include: contributing to income and standard of living, improving the local economy, increasing employment opportunities, increasing tax revenues, and more. • Ways to track and access the economic impact of tourism include surveys. Surveying visitors to gather data on where they are coming from, the reason for the visit, and average spending. Interviews, observational, data analysis, and focus groups are also ways to track. • Ms. Carbon shared the positive cultural and social impacts of tourism. Included and not limited to: improves the quality of life for residents, increases the availability of recreation opportunities, promotes cultural exchange. • In conclusion, community tourism is a process, and working with and building relationships with various stakeholders is critical for success. 6. Roundtable Valleys 2000 salmon run pop-up event volunteers saw the parking lot overflowing. Visitors heard through friends, family, and other anglers that this was a great place to fish. These were true visitors, people coming from outside our community. Many people had shared that they had just had lunch or snack/coffee downtown. It appeared that although people were coming for the fish ladder or fishing, which is free, money is still coming into the community. It was noted that people were frustrated that parking was so challenging. Need to make sure people can have a great experience. Perhaps look at communicating the different parking options. Downtown Bowmanville experienced a number of customers that were on a bus tour from a Toronto tour company. They were here to shop, for apple orchard experiences, cafes, and restaurants downtown. Takeaway: tourism is happening that we may not even be aware of. • Councillor Hooper advised bus tours can be a lucrative business. A discussion followed about the readiness of businesses in Clarington to accommodate bus tours • Craft brews are now allowed to be at farmer's markets. It is a great opportunity for local craft breweries to widen their reach of potential new customers. • Local BIAs worked with CBOT and additional chambers in Durham Region on a Shop Local Campaign for the holidays. Tourism staff to further promote when assets and information become available. • Lee -Ann Reck shared an update on an Economic Development Strategy that is taking place and how tourism has an interconnected role. As staff learns more, TAC will be updated. 7. Other Business o N/A 8. Date of next meeting: • Date to be confirmed and Ashlee Kielbiski to send information early in the new year. 9. Motion to adjourn Moved by Amy Verwey, seconded by Christine McSorley. Carried. The meeting concluded at 10:08 a.m.