DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE CITY OF BARRIE TOURISM MASTER PLAN OCTOBER 2020 The Tourism Master Plan was researched and conducted by FLOOR13 and its partners, KWL Advisory and GM Event Inc. It is the first of its kind for the City of Barrie and was realized through public and private sector industry stakeholders’ generous collaboration efforts.
The Tourism Master Plan has been developed using best industry practice, stakeholder input and up-to-date research and data analysis. While this Plan takes a 10-year timeframe view of tourism development in Barrie, it nonetheless acts as a guide for shorter-term initiatives and actions to be realized by the City of Barrie and other related industry stakeholders.
The Tourism Master Plan examines current tourism infrastructure in the Barrie area and provides a proposed investment needs analysis of potential tourism offerings that support the growth of visitor spending. A key focus on sport and conference assets is included in the Tourism Master Plan, highlighting two of Barrie’s future growth opportunities. Additionally, the study provides clarity on all available tourism funding that currently supports tourism organizations within Ontario.
As Barrie’s visitor economy continues to grow, so will Barrie’s reputation as a progressive, lifestyle-orientated place to live – contributing broadly to the City’s economic development goals for talent and business attractions. This Tourism Master Plan, in summary, provides a roadmap for achieving the City of Barrie’s goals and its desired future state in relation to tourism.
In the realization of this Plan, FLOOR13 and its partners would like to acknowledge the ongoing support and encouragement of the City of Barrie’s Invest Barrie team, Tourism Barrie, the Barrie Hotel Association, Simcoe County Tourism, RTO7 and members of the Barrie tourism industry.
2 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 3 TOURISM MASTER PLAN IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 OVERVIEW Planning for the future can be a challenging undertaking at the best of times. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated economies around the world, and the tourism sector’s core areas, such as travel and lodging, have been hit particularly hard. Destination marketing organizations and related service companies have seen revenue streams reduced by around 75%. The reality is that no one knows when we will see a return to normalcy or what “normal” may look like.
At the same time, the Tourism Master Plan is not a short-term COVID-19 recovery plan. Rather, the following pages are dedicated to building the visitor economy of Barrie over the long-term. The Tourism Master Plan represents a highly strategic approach for taking Barrie’s visitor economy and with it a sizeable portion of Barrie’s overall economy, from where it was pre-COVID-19 to where it can be five to ten years from now.
The mandate of the Tourism Master Plan is to identify and enable implementation of fundamental investments and initiatives that will result in a solid foundation of infrastructure and product offerings, quality visitor experiences, and brand messaging that will not only grow the destination but also accommodate and absorb any necessary short-term adjustments required by external factors. Ultimately, the end game of the Tourism Master Plan is to positively transform the destination over time and enable a range of positive outcomes for both visitors and residents.
PRE-COVID-19 EFFORTS Although the final development stages and submission of the Tourism Master Plan occurred during the height of the pandemic, the majority of the research and stakeholder consultations, destination and asset analysis, and identification of strategic directions and recommendations took place prior to the influence of the current pandemic conditions. The extended time period was proven to be advantageous, as the consulting team could remain focused on the project’s long-term mandate.
4 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN TOURISM MASTER PLAN IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 CHANGES DUE TO COVID-19 Due to the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry, the Tourism Master Plan’s timelines for initiating some of the Plan’s recommendations have been altered to reflect future time periods when the successful implementation can be realistically achieved. As the Plan is eventually moved forward, sensitivity to realistic timing will continue to be required. It was also decided to postpone public consultation until it is once again safe to conduct it in a face-to-face environment. A public consultation is a valuable form of research and input for the Tourism Master Plan, as Barrie’s residents will hopefully play a significant role in delivering the destination’s brand promise. Accordingly, a public consultation will be scheduled at a time when it is deemed safe to assemble. OPPORTUNITIES The regional leisure market will likely be one of the first to recover post-COVID, followed by sport tourism and events. As a destination, the tourism sector recovery for Barrie has significant growth potential in leisure travel, festival and events, and sport tourism. The destination’s proximity to Canada’s largest consumer and travel market, the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), drives this optimism. The focus on leisure experiences, including outdoor recreation, shopping and dining, will yield increased visitor stay and spend. Regional sport tournaments are also more likely to return more quickly to pre-COVID-19 market conditions. Positioning local assets to leverage sport opportunities in a safe manner will create an advantage for the City and uniquely position Barrie in the broader marketplace. Tourism Barrie is also a critical component in this path to economic success and recovery; its management and board have recently concluded a three-year strategic plan and COVID-19 recovery plan. One of the Tourism Master Plan’s most important recommendations is for Tourism Barrie to be adequately funded from Municipal Accommodations Tax (MAT) revenues so that it can properly market and promote the City of Barrie, as well as assist in the pursuit of destination development opportunities. If appropriate investments in capital, marketing and human resources are deployed in accordance with the Tourism Master Plan’s strategic directions and recommendations, it is reasonable to expect that the significant upside potential to Barrie’s visitor economy, beyond the pandemic, will be positively realized within the ten-year mandate of the Plan.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 5 6 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN TOURISM MASTER PLAN CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 8–11 INTRODUCTION 12 BACKGROUND 14 METHODOLOGY 15 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 16–31 TARGET MARKETS 32–35 ASSET ANALYSIS & MARKET READINESS 36–43 DESTINATION GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES 44–49 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS 50 BUILDING THE DESTINATION 51–71 DELIVERING THE EXPERIENCE 72–75 TELLING THE TOURISM STORY 76–81 ACTIONS AND TIMELINES 82–84
ANNEX A – STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWEES 85 ANNEX B – ASSET ASSESSMENT CHARTS 86–88 ANNEX C – GOVERNANCE 89–91 ANNEX D – TOURISM WAYFINDING 92–93 ANNEX E – ACRONYMS 95
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY PROJECT SCOPE Barrie is one of the fastest-growing cities in Ontario and is ideally situated one hour north of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), with strong transportation links via GO Transit and Highway 400. It boasts a diverse economy, of which tourism is a significant contributor, given that Barrie is a tourism destination and hub for regional sport and outdoor activities. Supporting the growth of the tourism industry as a driver of economic prosperity is one of the City of Barrie Council’s Strategic Priorities, which led to the recommendation for this Tourism Master Plan.
The consulting consortium of FLOOR13, KWL Advisory, and GM Event Inc. was contracted to lead the Tourism Master Plan’s development effort, initially by conducting stakeholder research, site reviews of tourism assets, and planning sessions with industry and City of Barrie representatives. These consultations led to various observations and ultimately to the key recommendations for guiding Barrie’s future growth potential in a way that is both strategic and supportive of the City of Barrie’s economic development objectives. Research and due diligence conducted from September 2019 to February 2020 highlighted that Barrie and“ the surrounding region possess a variety of well-managed tourism attractions and assets and a steady flow of visitor traffic throughout the area. However, it also illustrated that much traffic flows through Barrie on its way to other destinations, rather than stopping and overnighting in Barrie. There are opportunity costs of Barrie’s low brand awareness within primary markets, such as the GTA and corresponding visitor profiles, as well as gaps within the inventory of tourism assets.
Several opportunities for the destination were identified during the research phase of the Tourism Master Plan, including around: product and infrastructure investment, brand awareness, visitor experience design, and the use of social media and digital marketing. The phase also identified the opportunity for and benefits of a dynamic and well-governed Destination Marketing Organization; as well as a responsibly administered Municipal Accommodations Tax (MAT) used for marketing and promoting the destination through the Destination Marketing Organization, by supporting its administrative costs and providing seed funding for tourism development opportunities. Finally, there is an opportunity for both local government and Barrie residents to recognize the tourism industry as the overall economic contributor that it is now and can be to a greater extent in the future.
8 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY CORNERSTONES AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
Based on research outcomes, stakeholder Building The Destination input and destination growth opportunities, the Cornerstones of the Tourism Master Plan Delivering The Experience were confirmed as follows: Telling The Destination Story
The Cornerstones serve as a foundation, and each one represents a key aspect of any successful destination: • THE PRODUCT: The place itself; • THE SERVICE: What the place offers; and “ • THE MARKETING: How the place is conveyed. All destinations require solid fundamentals and a strategic focus in these three key areas in order to achieve desired success levels and economic growth. Each Cornerstone, moreover, is comprised of Strategic Directions.
The Strategic Directions provide targeted and quantifiable long-term direction and drives the Tourism Master Plan’s recommendations and implementation strategies.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Cornerstones act as guidelines for moving Barrie from its current state to its desired state as a tourism destination that fosters incremental and sustainable economic growth and greater societal value.
THE TOURISM MASTER PLAN’S STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR EACH CORNERSTONE ARE:
BUILDING THE DELIVERING THE TELLING THE DESTINATION EXPERIENCE DESTINATION STORY • Tourism as a priority • Visitor experience design • Brand promise and Unique economic sector • Strategic alliances & Selling Proposition • Sector development - sport partnerships • Destination Marketing tourism and business events Strategic Plan • Infrastructure investment • Align and leverage industry • Soft product development stakeholders, development partners, and residents with • Waterfront & downtown the brand promise revitalization
The realization of the Cornerstones and Strategic Directions will require close cooperation between the City of Barrie, the Destination Marketing Organization and industry stakeholders. Generally, the City of Barrie will take the lead role in Building The Destination through infrastructure and policy initiatives, while the Destination Marketing Organization will have responsibility for successfully Telling The Destination Story and building brand awareness and visitation growth within key markets. Outcomes related to Delivering The Experience are typically delivered by industry stakeholders and operators but also require dedicated resources and cooperation from the City of Barrie and the Destination Marketing Organization to ensure a successful visitor experience. Potential outcomes for the City, the tourism and broader business community, and the citizens of Barrie from a strategic and cooperative destination-building approach are many, but are primarily: • Higher MAT revenues as a result of the successful deployment of destination marketing strategies. MAT revenues can be deployed to increase brand awareness of the destination in key markets and support the administrative costs of the Destination Marketing Organization, as well as enable the City of Barrie to pursue investment opportunities in tourism-related infrastructure, assets and events; • Spin-off investments by the private sector that add to the economic strength of the community, such as conference centre investment that leads to the opening of hotels and other businesses that service the conference industry and its delegates (e.g., retail, food & beverage and entertainment operations); • A return on investment for the City of Barrie in the form of business and property tax revenues, and direct and indirect benefits related to economic impact; and • Benefits for Barrie’s citizens, in the way of improved and new infrastructure, new businesses, activities, and services.
10 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY RECOMMENDATIONS The Tourism Master Plan’s Strategic Directions are supported by specific Recommendations, which are initiatives that will ensure the successful achievement of each Strategic Direction. The Recommendations are the foundation of the implementation part of the Tourism Master Plan, intended to produce definitive and measurable progress toward the goal of sustained economic growth and development.
All Recommendations are, in turn, supported by clear actions and timelines that outline the specific steps to be taken and the projected completion date, allowing progress to be monitored throughout the implementation period.
The Tourism Master Plan’s 30 Recommendations represent a variety of initiatives including, but not limited to: • Effective and responsible tourism development use of MAT revenues; • Infrastructure investments aimed at growing business from key sectors such as sport tourism and business events; • Soft product development to grow off-season business volumes; • Improved wayfinding strategy and methodology; and • Development of a Destination Marketing Organization Three-Year Strategic Plan. By successfully implementing the Tourism Master Plan’s 30 recommendations, the desired state of a dynamic, year-round tourism destination that fosters economic growth and societal value will be achieved. This foundation will lead to strategic growth and development of a number of key areas, culminating in a recognized brand, enhanced product and visitor experience, and, most importantly, increased visitations and spending from both existing and new markets.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 11 INTRODUCTION The tourism industry is an economic driver for the City of Barrie and the overall destination, and accordingly, the sustainable growth of the industry and the resulting economic benefits is identified as one of the City of Barrie Council’s Strategic Priorities for 2018-2022.
In June 2018, the City of Barrie approved a 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), which was implemented in January 2019. At an estimated $1.6 million annually*, based on pre-COVID-19 forecasts of hotel occupancy and average rate, the MAT can provide a much needed financial boost to both Tourism Barrie’s and the City of Barrie’s efforts to expand market awareness of the destination and improve upon its product offerings and tourism infrastructure. (*Actual 2020 MAT revenues trending much lower due to plummeting hotel occupancy and room revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic).
Largely as a result of the long-term and sustainable revenue stream represented by the MAT and its corresponding growth potential, staff at the City of Barrie, through Invest Barrie and the Economic & Creative Development department, recommended to City Council that a comprehensive Tourism Master Plan be developed to assist Council in its strategic plan regarding tourism growth.
In July 2019, the City of Barrie issued RFP FIN2019-065P to develop a long-term Tourism Master Plan. The project was awarded in August 2019. As described within the RFP, the Project Objective is to “create a five-year Master Plan that leverages and supports the growth of existing tourism in the Barrie area, integrates sports, nature and business tourism, and provides direction on growing the sector overall.” Specifically, the execution of the Tourism Master Plan required the identification of tourism strategies that support the City’s economic development goals by providing a close examination of:
• Stakeholder views and positions; • Existing tourism assets; • Potential infrastructure investments; • Existing and new consumer markets; • Transportation opportunities; • Conferences/special events and sport tourism.
An Action Plan was also required, supported by strategic priorities, an actionable work plan, timelines and metrics.
12 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 13 BACKGROUND The creation of the City of Barrie Tourism Master Plan was based on a series of meetings and visits with key stakeholders; a review of background documents, existing plans and strategic positions; and desk research and information from the hotel and attractions industries. Invest Barrie, the City’s investment and development department, was the key client and oversaw all aspects of the development of this Plan. The Tourism Master Plan was developed from September 2019 to October 2020.
The following sections outline the research steps undertaken in formulating the City of Barrie’s Tourism Master Plan:
SITUATIONAL DESTINATION METHODOLOGY ANALYSIS GROWTH • Rationale • Global tourism • What is Barrie’s Unique landscape Selling Proposition? • Research • National and • How to maximize the • Analysis regional context Unique Selling Proposition’s potential? • Engagement • Barrie context • Best practices • What are the market opportunities? • What are the asset development opportunities? • Who will play a role in maximizing these opportunities?
14 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN METHODOLOGY To properly assess the tourism industry and its potential future state in Barrie, several steps within the research and discovery phase were initiated:
TOURISM SITE MAPPING • Present state of affairs • Tourism and sports assets • Key marketing assets • Unique Selling Proposition challenges • Drive market initiatives • Packaging opportunities
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT • Engagement with local tourism industry • Identifying key regional partners and possible alignment opportunities • Economic development alignment
RELATED PLANS • Economic development initiatives • Regional & national tourism plans • Sports & recreational marketing strategic plans • Private sector tourism development opportunities
RESEARCH, COMP SET, BEST PRACTICES • Trends • Feeder markets, existing and potential • Destination Marketing Organization evolution • Competitive destinations
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 15 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS THE TOURISM INDUSTRY, RECOGNIZED BROADLY AS THE VISITOR ECONOMY, EMBRACES A VAST NUMBER OF RELATED INDUSTRIES AND SUPPLIERS AND CONTRIBUTES TO MOST CITIES’ ECONOMIES.
The visitor economy includes all overnight and day trip destination visitors from leisure, business and sports segments, as well as the private and public-sector activities and expenditures involved in supplying products and services to those visitors (i.e. transportation, food service, attractions, events and retail).
The tourism industry has been one of the sectors hardest hit by COVID-19, which has affected millions of direct and indirect jobs throughout Canada and worldwide. Some segments, such as conferences, trade shows, sports and large events, may take longer to recover due to distancing and travel restrictions. Nevertheless, local and business-to-consumer (B2C) segments may see a quicker recovery and help regenerate the economy if recovery initiatives are well planned and executed.
Generally, it is estimated that Canada’s visitor economy is worth almost $102 billion, making it one of Canada’s top export industries and accounting for 2.1% of the country’s GDP and 10.6% of the Canadian workforce; with 31% being youth employees. The visitor economy ecosystem chart outlines the different sectors and suppliers involved in tourism. (See page 17)
Destinations that embrace tourism benefit from an influx of new demand and revenue streams forocal l entrepreneurs, service-based businesses and the destination as a whole, in turn creating opportunities for potential new infrastructure development, small business development and job creation.
Not all destinations are created equal. Nevertheless, ensuring a Unique Selling Proposition, which properly captures the essence of a destination’s brand offering, can elevate a destination from being relatively unknown, to a new and exciting place to visit. A destination must be realistic in its goals, must target and effectively communicate to the right travellers and markets, must have the ability to deliver on the brand promise, and must involve all stakeholders in adhering to the Unique Selling Proposition.
16 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS VISITOR ECONOMY ECOSYSTEM
MEETINGS ARTS & RETAIL & COMM’S & URBAN LEISURE LODGING MOBILITY & EVENTS CULTURE F&B MARKETING DEVELOPMENT
Festivals & Convention & Hotels Airports Museums & Parks & Public Events Meeting Venues Galleries Restaurant DMO Spaces
Sporting Tour Meeting & Bus Companies Concert Halls Bars Ad Agencies City Planning Events Wedding Companies Planners Health & Business Travel Trains Permits Wellness Agencies Historical Sites Nightclubs Media F&B
Parks & Travel Agencies Rental Cars Churches & Shops Prov & Fed Neighbourhood Recreation AV Suppliers Religious Sites Tourism Development Agencies Sightseeing Rental Ski Hills BNB’s Parking Lots Social Groups Security Tours Providers Providers Photographers Taxis, Limo’s Payment Airbnb Ticketing Transit Lakes & & Uber Providers Waterfronts Universities & Colleges Videographers Student City Trades People Exhibit Housing Transportation & Producers Companies Services Campgrounds Inspectors Transport Companies Hostels Custom Brokers Developers
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 17 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS DIRECT BENEFITS OF GROWING THE VISITOR ECONOMY
Increased Visitation All Year Increased Tax Higher Revenues OCC % $$
Downtown Increased Growth TOURISM ADR $$ BENEFITS
Increased Increased Development MAT Revenues $$
Increased Increased Parking Daily Spend Revenues $$ $$
LIFESTYLE DESTINATION
TALENT NEW NEW NEW/UPGRADED ATTRACTION HOUSING BUSINESS FACILITIES OVERALL CITY GOALS
18 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS KEY MARKET STATISTICS
The Barrie hotel inventory BARRIE HOTEL SUPPLY & OCCUPANCY RATES experienced a significant increase in 2016, with the addition of five 420,000 70% hotels. The 2016 decrease in occupancy rate was directly 415,000 68% related to the increase in hotel 410,000 66% room inventory but quickly rebounded in 2017 and 2018. 405,000 64% Ontario’s room occupancy grew slightly in 2019, which was also 400,000 62% reflected in both Barrie and 395,000 60% Toronto.
390,000 58% Several hotel projects that were being considered for the south 385,000 56% end, near Highway 400 and downtown, may now be postponed 380,000 54% pending the economic prognosis post-COVID-19. 375,000 52% 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
ROOM INVENTORY OCCUPANCY %
Barrie’s average daily hotel rate (ADR), has grown in the last four years at a slower pace than that of the rest of Ontario. However, the Ontario ADR does include Toronto, which has seen a significant rise in its ADR during the same period.
Ontario’s and Toronto’s ADR grew by 2% in 2019 reaching an ADR of approximately $150. The same growth rate assumption was used for both Barrie’s and Toronto’s forecasted ADR.
HOTEL ADR FOR ONTARIO & BARRIE $180 $170 $160 $150 $140 $130 $120 $110 $100 $90 $80 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
ONTARIO BARRIE TORONTO
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 19 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS GLOBAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE For a Tourism Master Plan to succeed, destinations need to understand what is happening on the broader tourism scene, trends and economic opportunities. The following pages will outline tourism’s impact today, globally and locally.
GLOBAL Globally, tourism has been on a steady growth pattern for the last decade, continuously surpassing annual forecasts. The UN World Tourism Organization reported that tourism now accounts for 7% of all global exports, equaling $1.6 trillion; employs one out of every ten workers; and is 10% of the world’s GDP. It is now forecasted that international arrivals globally will exceed 1.8 billion tourists by 2030. 2019 arrivals increased by 4% over 2018, which was already a record year worldwide. Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted travel worldwide in the short term, the UNWTO, STR and other leading travel organizations all feel confident that travel will return to pre-COVID-19 levels over the next 18 to 24 months
CANADA Canada’s visitor economy has also been on a steady rise over the last decade. 2019 set a new record for inbound international arrivals of 22.1 million, which benefited all parts of the country. The tourism industry has generated over $104.9 billion for the national economy, employs 1.8 million workers, is the biggest employer of young workers and accounts for 2.1% of GDP. Tourism is now the largest export service industry in the country.
The Federal government of Canada has, since 2018, designated tourism as one of the seven major economic sectors for the country. With this in mind, it has established as goals: • To be a Top Ten most visited country in the world by 2025. • To increase international overnight visits to Canada by 30% by 2021. COVID-19 will have an impact on this goal, which will need to be revisited.
The Federal Government has also focused its tourism vision on Canada’s culinary offerings, Indigenous culture, shoulder seasons, dispersion of visitors into more rural areas, and the LGBTQ2+ market.
GTA The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is Canada’s largest tourism market. It is also Canada’s largest target market, with a population of almost 6 million people looking for travel options. Already showing record visitation numbers of 44.5 million visitors, including 15.9 million overnight visitors and 8 million international travellers, Tourism Toronto had reported that it foresees continued growth for the coming years; however, COVID-19 halted that growth. Hotel occupancy levels have risen by 11% over the last five years, resulting in an average hotel rate above $185. The increased costs of staying overnight in the GTA has caused traditional Ontario based travellers to consider alternative destinations within the province. Muskoka and Blue Mountain were the first to experience the benefit of this migration, but they are now also showing signs of saturation. Other Ontario destinations have now developed their own tourism strategies to capture this lucrative market, which includes the leisure segment and also business events and travel trade. As well, a growing community of new Canadians want to explore more of Ontario and continue to look for new destinations.
TOP INBOUND COUNTRIES BY VISITORS 44.5 MILLION VISITORS
15.9 MILLION 2.9 MIL 222 K 188 K 118 K 75 K OVERNIGHT VISITORS
20 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 21 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS BARRIE AREA PERSPECTIVE
This situational analysis of Barrie’s tourism prospects is based on both industry research, as well as extensive engagement with stakeholders, investors and the City of Barrie. Based on this research, the following observations were made: • Even though Barrie is ideally located in close proximity to the GTA, it has not achieved its fair share of corporate meetings and provincial association conferences due mostly to the lack of a purpose-built conference centre; • There is municipal support and potential developer interest in building a hotel with meeting space or an adjoining conference centre within or adjacent to the downtown core, in an effort to capture much-needed conference business and also kick start the rejuvenation of the downtown core (i.e., the Fisher Auditorium site); • The largest conference hotel, the Holiday Inn and Conference Centre, has 161 rooms and can host a maximum of 300 people reception style. The hotel may soon be reflagged to another brand, but the meeting space is scheduled to remain as of last notice; • Invest Barrie is strong on creating a marketable destination brand, and supportive of using the Fisher site as the development anchor for revitalizing the downtown core by developing a conference centre/arts and theatre site and attracting a hotel development partner; • Certain areas of the core are home to transient populations and the location of central social services facilities; • There is also significant City support for the advancement of the City’s sport tourism assets and marketing despite the challenges of both the hotels and sporting facilities presently running at full capacity during peak demand periods; • The Hotel Association is a collegial representation of local hoteliers who are generally satisfied with Tourism Barrie’s performance and supportive of the need for a Tourism Master Plan;
22 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS BARRIE AREA PERSPECTIVE
• Hotel occupancy is 60-65% annually, with spikes during summer and weekend (sports teams) and steady Independent Traveller business during weekdays. Overall occupancy is: 50% corporate, 30% leisure, 20% sporting events; • Hotel inventory is at an adequate level for the business demand and may continue to grow; • There are presently 600+ Airbnb units in Barrie, and a MAT payment agreement has been signed with the City; • Barrie has significant sports assets, which will play a key role in growing this popular and lucrative market; • Currently, the hotel inventory is primarily located in the south end of the City near the Hwy 400 interchanges. This area is dominated by hotels, brand restaurants and big-box retailers; • The City of Barrie and the tourism industry have a challenge in growing special events and festivals along the waterfront due to capacity issues, local resident concerns, municipal by-laws in the high season and climate realities in the winter season. Nevertheless, non-ice related activities could be considered in the winter seasons; • Significant and marketable tourism assets exist regionally within reasonable driving distance of Barrie, which can definitely play a major role in the overall visitor attraction strategy; • In the past, tourism has not been viewed as a priority by the City of Barrie and has not been recognized for its significant economic growth potential. A link between the positive economic outcomes of tourism and the City of Barrie’s strategic priority of attracting small and medium-sized enterprises around tech and innovation industries has not been made in the past; and • The City of Barrie has already begun to use its share of the MAT revenues for extended tourism purposes but still needs to have more defined rules and definitions as to its future-use criteria.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 23 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS BARRIE AREA PERSPECTIVE CONTINUED For a Tourism Master Plan to succeed, destinations need to understand what is happening on the broader tourism scene, trends and economic opportunities.
TOURISM BARRIE • Tourism Barrie has been the official tourism marketing agency of the City of Barrie for the last few decades. It has a very good working relationship with the hotel industry. However, its mandate has mostly been seen as a sales and marketing organization and less so as a strategic long-term tourism planning partner by City managers; • Tourism Barrie has historically managed with a very small budget and therefore may require a review of its mandate, organizational structure and governance in order to manage the expectations of industry and the City of Barrie in a $1.6 million MAT environment; • Tourism Barrie needs to play a larger role in the education of locals and the business community about the merits and benefits of the visitor economy on Barrie’s economic prosperity; and • Tourism Barrie must also play a larger role in the city’s economic development by ensuring tourism is considered when policy is being developed.
24 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS TOURISM TRENDS The Canadian tourism landscape has historically been dominated by a few iconic destinations such as Banff, Jasper, Niagara Falls, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax. As visitations continue to grow, the popularity of these destinations has led to limited availability and significant price increases, making them less accessible for certain markets travelling to and within Canada. The positive effect of this has been the development of secondary destinations close to these hubs, growing in popularity and developing a following of their own, providing Canada with renewed and new offerings. These destinations have, in turn, attracted new tourism development and attraction partnerships. This trend is being replicated worldwide as smaller destinations realize the potential of tourism for their economies. Several other trends are now emerging in what has become a highly competitive global market.
The methodology of attracting travellers to destinations has changed. Gone are the days of postcards and brochures. Booking online or by mobile devices accounts for over 70% of worldwide travel bookings. Video content, peer reviews, authentic storytelling, user-generated content, geo-fencing, social media and digital marketing enables destinations to reach a more targeted audience than ever before. Progressive destinations and their marketing organizations have embraced these new tools to increase their market share and speak directly to their target markets.
Destinations should not overlook connectivity and its importance for all types of travellers. Social status and the prestige of travel are often key drivers for travellers from emerging markets; travel is today’s social currency for millennials, who have a tendency to value experiences over physical things. Social and digital media is used to document everything; therefore, high-speed WiFi is indispensable for today’s travellers.
AuthentiCity is the name of the game. Deliver what you promise, and don’t promise what you cannot deliver. Travellers want to experience new and exciting local experiences, sites and cultures, immersing themselves in a destination’s authentic DNA to create memorable moments. Destinations need to identify their own Unique Selling Proposition and deliver on its promise.
Targeting the right traveller. No destination can be all things to all people. Destinations have discovered the power of niche marketing or being realistic about their potential clientele, catering to the right segments in the best possible way, thereby ensuring the greatest return on invested marketing dollars.
Regional and Short-Haul Travel remains a large part of this destination’s yearly visitation volumes. Building on authentic and immersive travel, regional travel focuses on getting to know and understand a particular destination rather than simply being there. Short-haul includes getaway trips, social, cultural, active and sporting events, a mix of business and pleasure trips, and friends and family trips. Barrie has a clear advantage by being located close to the GTA.
The Shared Economy sector continues to play a significant role in today’s travel patterns. Faced with major disruption in several sectors, consumers have become accustomed to a range of diverse accommodation and travel options, from houseboats and highly personalized boutique hotels to Airbnb and Uber. Destinations that understand this, and can change and work with disruptors, will tend to fare better over the long term.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 25 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS TOURISM TRENDS CONTINUED
Wellness travel is emerging as a new sector in tourism, whereby travellers seek out low impact destinations. Concerns of overtourism, stress, better diets and environmental concerns lead physical fitness travellers to look to non typical experiences and destinations that enhance both body and mind. This trend has proven very successful for destinations that were unable to compete in the past with better known and more popular destinations that are now overcrowded.
Sustainable tourism continues to be a concern for a growing number of travellers, often reflective of their particular demographic. Balancing the concerns of the traveller and those of the environment continues to be a work in progress for many destinations. Limiting access to certain areas may also position destinations to leverage a premium for the experience. Sustainability has become an overarching theme of progressive tourism destinations, touching on everything from carbon offsets and waste and pollution reduction to limiting vehicle access and awareness of endangered ecosystems.
Sport tourism is a growing segment of tourism and an increasingly competitive space for host cities. With increased competition, host cities are working to strategically enable a consistent and repeatable approach to bidding, developing and hosting events. Increasingly, a percentage of Municipal Accommodation Tax revenues are being used to enable sufficient human resources within the sport tourism file and provide the financial guarantees to secure and underpin major national and international sport events. Recent examples of this are Kingston hosting the Brier Curling Tournament and Halifax having won the World Women’s Hockey Championship. Sport tourism has shifted to a more outcome-based model with economic, social/cultural and sustainable impacts determining the specific events and how they can enhance the quality of life and opportunities for residents.
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically increased the demand for outdoor and lifestyle tourism. Destinations with significant trail networks, beaches, camping, bike paths, and nature experiences have all seen increases in visitations in 2020. Even beyond the eventual resolution of the pandemic, this type of tourism will continue to grow as new and former enthusiasts rediscover the outdoors and its many health benefits.
Many Destination Marketing Organizations are expanding their mandates to Destination Marketing & Management Organizations. Destination Marketing Organizations or Destination Marketing & Management Organizations now play a greater role in destination development, tourism asset development, event creation, investment in new tourism assets and working with the mainstream corporate sector and economic development agencies to enhance the travellers’ experience while in-market.
DMOs ARE ALSO KEY PLAYERS IN: • Year-round marketing, keeping the destination top of mind with travellers; • Upselling and cross-selling to enhance a visitor’s experience; and • Personalization of brand, ensuring visitors have an authentic and personalized experience.
26 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS DESTINATION FOOTPRINT
Barrie is located just over a one-hour drive from Toronto and south of the Muskoka cottage country, which is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The city is not far enough to warrant a full stop from visitors heading north, while it also lacks a fully developed Unique Selling Proposition and attractions to encourage more day-trippers or a full weekend leisure stay. Nonetheless, Barrie is located one hour away from the biggest visitor market in Canada. Barrie has a number of tourism assets that can be leveraged to create awareness and visitor traffic, as well as to potentially attract more development. However, by their own admission, Barrie and its residents still hold on to the ‘drive through’ image of the past. Steering away from this image will be key to moving the Tourism Master Plan forward. With its limited tourism assets, Barrie needs to be very focused on what markets it wants to grow, who it must target to do so and what strategies will bring the highest return on investment
GTA
• 1 hour drive • Largest visitor market
WATERFRONT SPORT • Well developed FACILITIES • Several activities DESTINATION • Good reputation • Under-utilized for • Local cooperative tourism event FOOTPRINT sport stakeholders development
DOWNTOWN • Ongoing revitalization • Lacks hotel & meeting space
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 27 The SWOT analysis has been formulated from a S W O T combination of stakeholder feedback, consultants’ observations and diverse reports researched during the Tourism Master Plan process. ANALYSIS
WEAKNESSES W
• Lack of a downtown hotel • No significant conference/meeting space venue • Under-utilized waterfront for tourism-oriented events and activities aimed at generating more lucrative visitor traffic • Downtown still under redevelopment • Lack of visitor traffic through downtown. Drive-by and not drive-in • GO Train service scheduling (to and from Toronto) is inadequate for encouraging longer overnight stays • Barrie’s historical perception as a Blue-Collar City • Lack of understanding by citizens of the benefits of the visitor economy for Barrie STRENGTHS S
• Waterfront park • A solid mid-range hotel inventory in the south end • Mix of indoor and outdoor sports facilities • Extensive trails networks (walk, bike) • Saldon Arena as sport hosting venue • An established DMO • A new MAT revenue stream • Reputation of Kempenfest, Big Sky, Boots & Hearts festivals • Proximity to the GTA and Northern Ontario by driving • Significant residential growth thru next 5-7 years • Solid student base, Georgian College • Growing business investment in the creative economy
28 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN THREATS T
• Downtown core still under revitalization • Unable to transition ‘blue collar’ attitude • Citizens pushing back on tourism • City Hall’s lack of competitive fiscal support and recognition of tourism as a strategic sector • By-law restrictions on waterfront tightened, which would OPPORTUNITIES curb visitor traffic flow and visitor-centric events O • Orillia’s move to establish its own MAT and compete directly with Barrie on same markets • Impact of Innisfil facilities development • Waterfront park for tourism events, summer & winter • Lack of downtown hotel and conference centre development • Kempenfest, Winterfest and Troubadour as local • Sport and recreation user group disengagement (local anchor events to expand festival product citizens) as a result of displacement through more sport • Boots & Hearts and Big Sky as a regional player to tourism attractions resulting in push back on this strategy attract visitation • Leverage the live entertainment and music scene in Barrie as well as the arts and cultural scene • Snow Valley Ski Resort and other regional ski hills - packaging • Enhanced communication and collaboration among sport hosting stakeholders • Leverage local Indigenous cultural & arts activities • More frequent GO Train service to and from Toronto • Development of downtown accommodations • Fisher Auditorium site development • Closer alignment with other regional tourism entities (Simcoe County and RTO7, OTMPC) to help with wayfinding, training, marketing, product development • Increased awareness of tourism by elected City officials and citizenry – internal PR • A new Tourism Master Plan
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 29 SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK THEMES (These are solely the opinions of the 80 stakeholders engaged)
• More outdoor venues required (track and turf fields); Tourism • Aquatic facilities required for hosting some sport events (50 metre pool); Infrastructure: • Ancillary services at sport venues (dressing rooms/operational spaces); Sport /All Other • Balance of user group relocation and sport tourism development.
• Downtown waterfront assets/marina/F&B (Tap into drive-by market); City Tourism • Transit availability for events; Investment • Modern indoor concert, arts and cultural venue in core with adequate parking facilities; Required • Conference centre downtown.
• Weekends are heavy with sport tournament visitors; Current Visitor • Live music tourists from GTA; Profile/Interests • Hwy 400 retail mall spend (from regions north or drive through from GTA); • Corporate visitors also experiencing F&B/waterfront, etc.
• City event development seed funding; • Outdoor infrastructure study: stages, seating, etc.; Event Growth • Designated event space in core; • Music/live entertainment is a core attraction for the City.
• Tourism partners are well aligned and willing to move the tourism needle; Stakeholders • Lack of knowledge among citizens regarding tourism’s positive impact on the community.
• City brand focus required to provide reference for GTA visitors; • Outdoors/urban centre of mid-Ontario. Change ‘400’ stopover image; City Brand • Unique Selling Proposition around downtown core and waterfront; • More alignment between City of Barrie and Tourism Barrie.
DMO/RTO Role: • A need for more connectivity with Regional Tourism Organizations; Future • Hoteliers: supportive of Tourism Barrie’s short-term tactics; Requirements • Tap into the Barrie winter weekend getaway. Indoor/outdoor experiences.
• More tourism champions needed within City Hall; City Role in • Better transit requirements to support event operations; Tourism • Support downtown’s continued revitalization: retail/F&B upgrade, creative economy, vagrancy issues.
30 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS KEY REGIONAL TOURISM ASSETS & GAP ANALYSIS
Key Asset Description Consumer Appeal Gaps or Opportunities Consultant Perspective
Well attended by GTA City must work in closer Largest outdoor residents driving in for To grow as the anchor event conjunction to ensure Kempenfest craft festival in the day. by tying in to a broader events support services such as Canada. strategy for the waterfront. Large selection of parking, traffic flow. products and F&B.
City must work in closer Large outdoor To be included in a broader New Country Music, conjunction to ensure growth Boots & country music events strategy where pre F&B, laid back adults and viability of this event to Hearts festival 20 min. and post events could be & millennials event. increase visitor traffic and north of Barrie. developed. spend.
Local ski hill; To tie in with more in-City secondary tourism Close access to GTA, Great asset to market within Snow Valley weekend activities and during asset due to family friendly hill with the Barrie TMP to support off Ski Resort breaks and bolster visitor competition to north kids ski school. season business. spend in town. and cottage country.
KEY TOURISM ASSETS & GAP ANALYSIS
Key Asset Description Consumer Appeal Gaps or Opportunities Consultant Perspective
Accessible area to walk, Should become the central City must consider waterfront Well developed, run, bike, picnic, and USP for City. Limited ability as USP catalyst & develop Waterfront high profile have family activities. to increase tourism event growth strategy around it. In Park waterfront park on No access fees (parking activities due to local resident turn drawing people to broader Lake Simcoe shore. fees for non-resident concerns with parking access, experiences (ie. Downtown visitors). neighbourhood disruption. shopping & restaurants access).
A redevelopment Dedicated conference Increase in business events Move to build theatre project Fisher project proposal space and theatre in and economic impact alone and pursue developers Auditorium for a theatre/ the downtown core to build private hotel/ project cultural and within walking distance Lack of site hotel complex. conference centre downtown. conference centre. of other activities. Covid-19 recovery timeline.
Clear offer to rights holder Accessible from Hwy Develop 10-year event Sadlon Multi-use sports connected to funding support 400 with parking and attraction strategy for arena Arena and entertainment for target events. nearby amenities. Most with marketing support and facility. “event-ready” facility. Continued potential use as MAT funding program. conference facility.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 31 TARGET MARKETS
32 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN TARGET MARKETS PRIORITY FEEDER TARGET MARKETS FOR BARRIE
Barrie's priority target markets remain primarily Ontario based. In recent years Quebec has shown some increase in visitation, mainly through visiting friends and family, and would be considered the biggest market for Barrie outside of Ontario.
Within the province, the GTA provides the largest influx of visitors into the Barrie area and represents the bulk of sales and marketing efforts and budgets. The GTA will continue to ominated Barrie's visitor attraction efforts aimed at increasing present-day volumes in all three target segments: B2C, B2B and sports.
Markets within a three-hour radius of Barrie will also be targeted for overnight visitation.
PRIMARY MARKET
SECONDARY MARKET
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 33 Based on the Destination Ontario visitor profile categories, the following TARGET CLIENT PROFILES: leisure target groups represent those most likely to visit the Barrie area. LEISURE The target groups are based in-part on present day visitors and offer a focal point for growing tourism assets and offers, as well as for the broader development of tourism in the Barrie region.
SPORT LOVERS Description: More male-oriented, looking for sport type activities alone or in groups. Barrie Attributes: Golf, water activities, cycling, skiing, snowmobiling. Season: Year-round.
UP AND COMING EXPLORERS Description: Younger set of individuals; new Canadians wanting to experience tourism at a reasonable cost. Barrie Attributes: Festivals, waterfront activities, sporting activities, culinary, nightlife. Season: Year-round.
MATURE OUTGOING COUPLES Description: Active couples with or without grown children, profile 55 – 70, looking for active and cultural experiences. Barrie Attributes: Festivals, nightlife, gentle hiking trails. Season: Summer, Fall.
FAMILY MEMORY BUILDERS Description: Young couples with children under 18 looking for affordable entertainment and activities geared to kids. Barrie Attributes: Water activities, cycling, skiing, festivals, parks, beaches, indoor entertainment. 34 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN 34 Season: Year-round. TARGET CLIENT PROFILES: Barrie’s business visitors are categorized into two separate groups: individual business travellers and conference & meeting BUSINESS attendees. Sports visitors are defined as tournament and event AND SPORTS attendees.
INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS TRAVELLERS Description: Travellers coming to Barrie based on its business & industrial base. Difficult to target. Barrie Attributes: Actual business community, industry and government-related entities. Season: Year-round.
CONFERENCE & MEETINGS ATTENDEES Description: People attending meetings, conferences, trade shows either naturally taking place in the City of Barrie or that have been attracted to Barrie by Tourism Barrie and/or hotel sales. Barrie Attributes: Hotels, meeting facilities if built. Season: Year-round; peak Spring & Fall.
(This segment will only grow significantly with the addition of more meeting facilities in Barrie.)
SPORTS Description: Amateur sports tournaments, competitions training camps and sport meetings. Barrie Attributes: Sports facilities, sports fields, local sport organizations and infrastructure. Season: Year-Round.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 35 ASSET ANALYSIS & MARKET READINESS ASSET ANALYSIS Tourism assets are the elements of a destination’s tourism infrastructure, activities, programs and local customs that visitors can experience in a City. These assets represent the essence of why people visit a destination. A successful tourism strategy relies on a combination of effective positioning and marketing to support identified tourism products, recognizing that the most effective tourism marketing program cannot overcome an inadequate tourism product or experience. Visitors may be attracted to a destination brand, but they will not return if their experience does not match or exceed the expectations established by the marketer. The following analysis provides an assessment of the various tourism assets related to our target markets within and nearby the City of Barrie. This asset analysis includes the various categories of assets that would typically contribute to the City of Barrie’s overall tourism asset mix, including:
RETAIL
INDOOR SPORTS ACTIVITIES FACILITIES
EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT ACCOMMODATIONS
ACTIVE ASSET ANALYSIS MEETING OUTDOOR FACILITIES
Sport facilities serve the sport and recreation needs of the community first and therefore are separate from other tourism assets. Sport venue assets have been assessed based on the level of sport events they are able to host (local, provincial, national and international) with the assessment in Annex B. Accommodations in Barrie are, for the most part, 3-3.5-star quality and can host small meetings only.
36 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ASSET ANALYSIS METHODOLOGY The individual assets identified in the study process are rated on a simple “high/medium/low” scale and rated numerically on a 1-5 impact index, based on each of the following factors. Detailed asset assessment per venue/attraction can be found in Annex B.
DRAW refers to the impact that an asset has in drawing visitors to the destination. The Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture has defined a tourist as a person travelling more than 40 kilometres from their residence (one-way) or staying overnight. The draw has been further defined as:
LOW (1): MEDIUM (3): HIGH (5): The attraction is of local interest A small to medium number of The attraction, service or natural only and will not draw visitors, visitors from outside the area asset is of great interest to or may serve as a short stop on may be drawn to the identified visitors from outside of the the way to another destination. attraction or natural asset. area, drawing as many as 25-40% of its visitors from outside the area.
DURATION refers to the length of time a typical visitor will want to remain at the tourism asset, based on both interest level or the nature of the activity/service. The assumption of duration is related to the potential for visitor spending in the destination. For instance, a high-profile heritage site near a major artery route may attract a large number of visitors, but the extent to which they remain in the destination to spend money may be marginal.
LOW (1): MEDIUM (3): HIGH (5): The typical visitor will remain A visitor may spend from an The attraction is worth stopping on-site for less than an hour. hour to a half-day at this for an entire day or overnight attraction and may include with one or more incremental a small meal or snack in the activities beyond the destination. accommodation spend.
OFF-SEASON Potential refers to the asset’s access and potential outside of the peak summer season.
LOW (1): MEDIUM (3): HIGH (5): The asset is not open or There is limited access or The asset is available year-round available off-season. potential for visitors in spring, and is determined to have value fall and winter. to a destination visitor beyond one season (i.e., a ski destination that acts as a draw for hiking in the summer).
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 37 ACTIVE OUTDOOR
Barrie can be defined by its outdoor environment for both residents and visitors. Its proximity to Lake Simcoe, in addition to its supply of parks and natural hiking or cycling trails, positions Barrie as a destination of choice for participating in a physical outdoor experience. Situated within easy access to Canada’s largest urban centre, Barrie offers outdoor parks and waterways throughout the four seasons that support specific activities and the broader fitness trends that are attractive to much of the region’s population.
A destination possessing two significant waterfront parks – Allandale Station and Centennial, on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, the area offers visitors a variety of outdoor pursuits, as well as accessibility to the downtown core’s services. Barrie’s waterfront provides access to summer sailing, angling and beach activity in much closer proximity to the GTA than other neighbouring destinations.
The outdoor experiences located near Barrie, which include hiking and cycling trails, ski resorts and water activities available along Kempenfelt Bay, position a visitor destination that is attractive to an independent and younger demographic, as well as to families and a more mature active demographic.
Within the active outdoor category, four sub-categories were identified as warranting separate assessments: • Land-based trails & parks • Cycling/Cross-country skiing • Downhill ski resorts • Water-based activities
38 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ACTIVE OUTDOOR
Sport tourism opportunities, such as cycling, mountain biking, Nordic and Alpine skiing, sailing, open water swimming and triathlons, can also be explored as active outdoor infrastructure if developed and enhanced. Given measures in place due to COVID-19, these types of experiences are now especially attractive to visitors looking to reconnect with the outdoors as a safe leisure opportunity.
As a result of Barrie’s location in one of Ontario’s natural snowbelts, Barrie’s winter season offering is a key driver of visitation by the large population of active outdoor enthusiasts situated a convenient drive south in the GTA. As the winter season has continued to trend milder over the past decade in Toronto and its surrounding municipalities, Barrie offers an accessible day trip to a selection of family-friendly ski resorts, targeting both experienced and novice skiers. Additionally, the destination provides a selection of cross-country ski options ranging from gentle to challenging terrain.
The future enhancement of Barrie’s active outdoor offering can be achieved with a relatively moderate investment. In recent months, the Province of Ontario developed a tourism recovery fund, offering incentives to assist Ontario’s tourism industry recovery from the significant decrease in visitor activity due to COVID-19. To enhance its status as an active outdoor destination, Barrie does not require a significant ‘bricks & mortar’ investment; the current outdoor spaces, which support youth sports, as well as adult recreational activities such as cycling and hiking, are in relative abundance.
The municipal investment in the Barrie Community Sports Complex, featuring numerous ball diamonds and turf fields, clearly encourages organized sport leagues and tournaments. It is also a significant asset serving the more impromptu summer active outdoor enthusiast who seeks an outlet for ‘unorganized’ physical activity.
The increasing popularity of cycling throughout Southern Ontario was recently outlined in CycleON, Ontario’s Cycling Strategy (2018); the strategy addresses key areas relevant to tourism development in Barrie. Its focus on improving cycling infrastructure to attract greater interest supports Barrie’s opportunity to invest in developing additional cycling trails and amenities related to this expanding outdoor activity. Its local terrain, combined with its significant lakeshore access, positions Barrie as a key attractor for cyclists residing in the GTA.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 39 ACTIVE OUTDOOR
LAND-BASED TRAILS & PARKS
There is a combination of waterside parks along Kempenfelt Bay (e.g. Allandale Station and Centennial Park), with walking trails alongside beaches. The Waterfront Heritage Trail runs from Allandale Station in the south and follows the bay to connect with the North Shore Trail, offering historic points of interest.
The combination of lakeside and inland trails in the west and north of Barrie has a high-demand visitor ranking, particularly due to its proximity to the large population centres located 30-60 minutes south on Hwy 400.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 4.1 • Family Memory Builders DURATION 3.3 • Sport Lovers • Mature Outgoing Couples OFF-SEASON 3.0
CYCLING/CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING The pursuits of snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, in addition to ‘three-season’ cycling, are recognized as rapidly increasing in interest for a combination of visitor demographics within Southern Ontario.
Barrie possesses cycling trails and arterial roads throughout the municipality, including the Northern Barrie 24 km route that loops from the downtown core to around north Barrie and back to the waterfront. A more advanced cycling route commences in Barrie, running north along the Lake Simcoe shoreline and connecting to the 28 km Oro-Medonte Rail Trail. The Innisfil cycling route is a scenic 22 km trail that is utilized by the local community and is gaining in profile for those residing in the expanding communities to the south. The value of such trails adjacent to Barrie’s location on Lake Simcoe is deemed to be a medium (and increasing) draw throughout the four seasons.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 3.0 • Up and Coming Explorers DURATION 3.5 • Sport Lovers • Mature Outgoing Couples OFF-SEASON 3.0
40 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ACTIVE OUTDOOR
DOWNHILL SKI RESORTS
Barrie’s image as a winter sport destination is strengthened by the presence of Snow Valley Ski Resort, Horseshoe Resort and other regional ski resorts, all located within the greater Barrie area or within an easy drive. Snow Valley Ski Resort and Horseshoe Resort, in particular, are best known and offer novice to medium-skill runs, attracting young families and the active winter outdoor enthusiast. A significant value of both resorts lies in their relative proximity to the GTA, in contrast with Collingwood or Mount St. Louis, which are located further north.
The most significant future risk to these Ski Resort lies in climate change and the winter warming factor, which continue to shorten the duration of the snow season throughout Southern Ontario.
Both Snow Valley Ski Resort and Horseshoe Resort attract valuable spending from young families during the off-peak winter season; they also offer other outdoor activities and banquet space for social events and weddings.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 3.4 • Family Memory Builders DURATION 3.5 • Sport Lovers OFF-SEASON 4.5
WATER-BASED ACTIVITIES Barrie’s location on Kempenfelt Bay is a primary summer tourist attraction, bringing boaters and residents from both north and south of Barrie, attracting anglers on Lake Simcoe and fishing along Barrie’s shores, and offering a beach destination.
The lakeside amenities are a significant tourism draw, encouraging a longer stay either by overnighting on boats or via the City of Barrie’s accommodation supply. Barrie’s summer beach activity on Kempen- felt Bay, particularly the Centennial Beach activity near the downtown core, encourages a variety of visitor spending opportunities.
Additionally, Barrie’s popular Dragon Boat Festival brings paddlers from the region and has raised over $2 million for local charities since 2003. The winter ice-fishing tournament held over the past decade has also become a winter mainstay for Southern Ontario anglers.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 3.8 • Family Memory Builders DURATION 2.1 • Sport Lovers OFF-SEASON 4.2
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 41 FESTIVALS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS
FESTIVALS, LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & ARTS One key element of a destination’s programming is the frequency and quality of its events, celebrations, and live-entertainment venues; they define Barrie’s character and attract visitors from outside the community.
Summer festivals such as Kempenfest, as well as the Troubadour Festival in September and arts venues such as the MacLaren Art Centre, are celebrations of arts, crafts and music that attract high visitation and support revenues for retail and food & beverage operators.
The abundance of arts and culture options within the destination, coupled with a number of long-standing live music bars, positions Barrie as a recognized mid-Ontario entertainment location.
Live music venues, including The Ranch and Queen’s, cater to a combination of both younger and mature demographics; these visitors tend to travel from across the northern GTA region.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 4.2 • Up & Coming Explorers DURATION 2.9 • Mature Outgoing Couples OFF-SEASON 3.1
ACTIVE INDOOR
E-SPORT, SPORTS DOME The City of Barrie’s recreation centres operate year-round and attract young families and those in the 10-25 age range; these visitors tend to reside within the northern GTA and Lake Simcoe regions.
Attractions such as the Sports Dome and Alt Rock are major assets with potential draw from the northern GTA communities. The Sports Dome offers indoor soccer fields, batting cages and a golf driving range, while Alt Rock offers climbing terrain for all skill and age levels.
The visitor activity associated with indoor assets, such as e-sport gaming, winter curling or rock climbing, tend to be regional drive in and out trips with an element of residual spending, particularly within the food & beverage segment.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 3.8 • Family Memory Builders DURATION 2.1 • Up & Coming Explorers OFF-SEASON 4.2
42 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN RETAIL
RETAIL Barrie’s retail presence is a significant ‘visitor attractor,’ particularly with respect to its two largescale malls at the north and south end of the City, off of Hwy 400. Park Place and Georgian Mall serve as a ‘drop-in’ option for travellers heading north to cottage country or southbound on the way home. The duration of the retail visit is not particularly long but does frequently include a meal or other ancillary spending, increasing the value of the malls’ draw.
Dunlop Street in downtown Barrie is somewhat less of a draw due to its distance from Hwy 400; however, during summer, this cluster of retail and food & beverage options located within walking distance of the shoreline sees a positive amount of spending from tourists.
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 4.0 • Family Memory Builders DURATION 1.8 • Up & Coming Explorers • Mature Outgoing Couples OFF-SEASON 3.5
CONFERENCE FACILITIES
CONFERENCE FACILITIES Barrie currently possesses a number of conference facilities capable of holding a business, association or fraternal meeting event. This study documents the requirements and potential for a purpose-built conference centre located near the downtown core, which in turn would intensify visitation to and the vibrancy of the area, helping Barrie promote itself as a lifestyle destination. In the short term, the return of business events will be offset due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The current inventory, though undersized, is a regional and provincial attractor for mid-sized meetings. The range of options includes the Holiday Inn Barrie Hotel & Conference Centre, as well as the facilities, conference space and meeting rooms available at Georgian College and Georgian Downs. There is potential to establish Barrie as a viable Ontario association destination with a larger conference centre in the City core. (Refer to Fisher Auditorium Feasibility Study.)
ASSESSMENT SCORE TARGET MARKET DRAW 3.0 • Regional Corporate & Association Meetings DURATION 2.2 • Social Events: Dinners, Weddings, Amateur Sport OFF-SEASON 3.2
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 43 DESTINATION GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES Based on the outcomes of FLOOR13’s research and engagement activities and asset analysis, the following opportunity areas have been identified as having the potential to dramatically increase visitations and improve tourism’s economic contribution to the destination:
DOWNTOWN HOTEL YEAR-ROUND LEVERAGE MAT SPORTS FACILITY & CONFERENCE WATERFRONT RENEWAL & MARKET FACILITY UTILIZATION EXPANSION & TOURISM MANAGEMENT
GROW VISITATION ESTABLISH COLLABORATION UNIQUE SELLING FROM GTA TOURISM AS BETWEEN PROPOSITION TARGET SEGMENTS A PRIORITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT APPEALS ECONOMIC SECTOR TO VISITORS & RESIDENTS
44 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN DEVELOPMENT OF A DOWNTOWN HOTEL AND MEETING FACILITY
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE
• The Barrie hotel inventory is mostly located along • Downtown hotel with 200+ rooms and limited meeting the Hwy 400 corridor, away from the downtown space, located adjacent to a new conference facility; core; • A new conference facility will compete for GTA • The total inventory of 13 properties, totalling 1122 corporate and provincial association group business. rooms available; the majority being limited-service The new facility could be the Fisher Auditorium project properties; or a private development project; • Barrie does not distinguish itself from other Ontario • Development of an adjacent hotel within a similar towns with similar highway access; timeframe; • Lack of 4 star or boutique hotels; • Fisher Auditorium project could be developed as a • Limited meeting space available within the hotel multi-functional facility (theatre and conference space) inventory; or a stand-alone theatre facility; • No hotel or meeting space in downtown Barrie; • The cultural aspect of Barrie (theatre, music venues) could be part of the visitor experience and draw. • Fisher Auditorium sight project has potential for the development of a smaller conference and theatre facility. The new facility would compete with other southern Ontario similar size centres.
WATERFRONT UTILIZATION
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE
• The waterfront is now linked by a series of parks, • Better use and tourism management of the waterfront culminating 6.7 kms of continuous green space, for larger tourism-related events; beaches and bike trails; • Make the waterfront the catalyst of Barrie’s Unique • The waterfront is restricted by the number of Selling Proposition and draw people to broader visitor-generating events it can host due to an experiences (i.e. Downtown, shopping); overabundance of local bookings and certain • Move some local activities to other city parks; restrictive by-laws (local bookings take precedence over all others; food & beverage restrictions); • Encourage more beach offerings and experiences to draw greater visitation and downtown spend; • Restricted access for food trucks; • Properly manage and plan for an increase in waterfront • Some local opposition to waterfront park and beach visitation to mitigate any risk of overtourism; being used to attract more visitors; • Increase food & beverage options in and around the • Winter lake activities are restricted due to liability Waterfront parklands; issues; • Increase awareness of waterfront activities and rental • Limited summer lake activities. options; • Incorporate a wellness theme.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 45 LEVERAGE MAT
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE • MAT is split between the Destination Marketing • A fully defined policy relating to MAT distribution Organization and the City of Barrie. The City’s and usage to support tourism initiatives and related portion to be future-defined as to its ultimate use; capital projects; • The City of Barrie portion has been used for extended • The Destination Marketing Organization to leverage tourism-related purposes; marketing dollars, when warranted, with regional • The City of Barrie and Destination Marketing tourism entities; Organization do not have a joint plan as of yet on • Alignment between the City of Barrie and Destination the overall alignment of tourism in Barrie; Marketing Organization as to the direction of tourism • The Destination Marketing Organization portion is in Barrie, based on the Tourism Master Plan and used for marketing and administration, replacing Tourism Barrie’s Strategic Plan; the portion that the City funded before the • Leverage more regional partners to participate in implementation of the MAT; year-round marketing initiatives (ski, golf, water • The Destination Marketing Organization portion is sports, theatre, culinary, outdoor activities, casino); not leveraged with regional RTO and partner entities; • City MAT funds leveraged to create more tourism- • The Destination Marketing Organization is moving related events in and around Barrie, such as seeding towards a more digital use of marketing funds; new festivals, sporting events, and bids for national social events; • MAT funding for sport tourism events is not defined in a way that encourages the rights holder to • Develop sport tourism bidding and hosting program present a clear sport tourism offering. from MAT-based revenues.
SPORT FACILITIES RENEWAL & EXPANSION
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE • Sadlon Arena is a multi-sport and entertainment • Sadlon Arena fully activated with website and marketing facility that hosts OHL and a limited concert/family channels to serve as sports and entertainment driver show lineup; for central Ontario, including national and international • Barrie Community Sport Complex serves as the sport events; home for multiple sports at the recreation and • Barrie Community Sports Complex, with the addition provincial levels; of shared dressing room facilities and ancillary rooms, • Barrie has several recreational and multi-use could serve as a host site for provincial and some community centres that include ice, aquatic and national level championships; gym/field house facilities; • To host provincial and national level multi-sport • Georgian College facilities are well equipped for events or provincial single-sport swim events would field and gym sports; require a 50-metre aquatics centre. Determine hosting potential with 25-metre pool; • The “Outdoor Recreation Facility Study” (Monteith Brown – 2019) outlines recommendations for the • Include Georgian College facilities in the asset mix, future development of outdoor recreation facilities allowing Barrie to expand its offering and include but does not make a connection to current or school sports in sport tourism; future sport hosting; • Ensure recreation facility development includes a • Sport facilities are currently being used as review of the technical specifications by sport and by exhibition and conference venues, relocating event to ensure that future facilities have the capacity sport to other venues. to serve as provincial and national sport event venues.
46 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN GTA TARGETING
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE
• The Destination Marketing Organization targets • Increased year-round traffic from the GTA for both Business to Consumers (B2C) from the GTA for day trips and longer overnight stays; weekend business and special events; • Create an offering for sport pre-competition training • No direct collaboration or alignment with the GTA camps when the primary event is taking place in the in the sports segment; GTA; • Conference business is now left to hotels to solicit, • Closer cooperation to leverage regional tourism entities as they are the only venues with meeting space in the GTA market; with the exception of the Liberty North facility; • Stronger year-round digital marketing in the GTA • The Destination Marketing Organization uses a market; seasonal campaign strategy for the GTA market. • More relatable activities and upscale tourism experience options for this market (arts & culture, food & beverage, theatre, music scene); • Market to other regional drive areas in both northern and eastern Ontario; • Barrie is recognized as an accessible and developed conference destination by GTA meeting planners.
TOURISM AS A PRIORITY ECONOMIC SECTOR
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE
• Tourism is not presently perceived as a priority • Tourism to be designated as a priority sector for Barrie; economic sector in Barrie; • City of Barrie to develop a specific tourism growth • Elected officials and residents are not well informed investment plan; of the potential of tourism as an economic driver • Communication strategy to educate on the positive for the City, and therefore tourism has reduced impact tourism can have on Barrie and its residents; support among these two groups; • Ensure a proper tourism management plan is in place • There are some development initiatives for new for peak demand periods (wayfinding, parking, traffic tourism centric businesses (hotels, restaurants), but flow, shuttling, sanitary); only as part of a larger development plan with no tourism-specific projects yet. • Continue with a designate elected City of Barrie official as tourism portfolio champion, but also incorporate staff within the Economic & Creative Development department to concentrate specifically on tourism within the overall destination development strategy.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 47 COLLABORATION OF STAKEHOLDERS
PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE • Good cooperation between hotel community, • Closer working relationship under a central tourism tourism attractions and Destination Marketing strategy for the City of Barrie officials, Destination Organization; Marketing Organization (DMO) and stakeholders; • Lack of coordination between the City of Barrie and • The general acceptance of Tourism Master Plan from Destination Marketing Organization on tourism residents; strategy; City does not yet have a dedicated tourism • Greater collaboration among all tourism stakeholders portfolio representative; aligned with Tourism Master Plan; • Little to no alignment with regional tourism entities. • Regional tourism committee (DMO, City, industry, RTO, Economic & Creative Development department); • Ensure tourism portfolio is integrated into the economic development portfolio and resourced to drive the outcomes of the Tourism Master Plan and coordination with Destination Marketing Organization;
48 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ESTABLISH A BARRIE UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION FOR BOTH TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PRESENT STATE DESIRED STATE
• No central Unique Selling Proposition or city brand • One overarching destination Unique Selling Proposition positioning currently exists that resonates with all accepted and promoted by all stakeholders; stakeholder entities and the marketplace; • The Unique Selling Proposition should be market-driven, • Barrie as a destination doesn’t project a strong reflecting both the active outdoor younger demographic competitive advantage or Unique Selling Proposition; and the business traveller seeking a conference therefore, there isn’t any one particular reason to visit destination once a facility is realized; that is strongly acknowledged by potential visitors. • A Unique Selling Proposition centred around a strong waterfront and downtown product offering would resonate well with the GTA leisure segment (families, couples, millennials and boomers); • A Unique Selling Proposition reflective of a revitalized downtown core of relevance to local residents; • A City of Barrie brand that reflects the economic development energy emerging from the local creative industry economy.
DEFINITION UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION A destination’s Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is the fundamental essence of matching a visitor’s travel desire What with the products the destination offers. The USP will Customers give visitors the reason to visit the destination, and the destination must deliver on it USP’s promise. The destination’s want USP needs to stand out from its competitors and showcases the best parts of the destination that will be meaningful to the visitor. USP In tourism the USP is the thing that makes the destination uniquely different and sets it apart; it is always related to the destination’s DNA. What What your You Competitors do well do well
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 49 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS CORNERSTONES AND STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
The foundation of the Tourism Master Plan is three Cornerstones that are germane to all successful destinations: Building The Destination (Product), Delivering The Experience (Service) and Telling The Tourism Story (Communications & Marketing). Supporting the Cornerstones are Strategic Directions, which provide targeted and quantifiable long-term direction for the destination that will result in quantum improvements to the destination’s brand appeal, infrastructure and business volumes. Strategic Directions have the potential to produce incremental and sustainable economic growth and societal value. The pursuit of the Strategic Directions drives the identification of the Tourism Master Plan Recommendations and Key Performance Indicators.
BUILDING THE DELIVERING THE TELLING THE DESTINATION EXPERIENCE TOURISM STORY
• Tourism as an economic • Visitor experience design • Brand promise and Unique priority sector Selling Proposition • Strategic alliances and • Sector development (sports partnerships • Destination Marketing & business events) Strategic Plan (target markets and segments, Sales & • Infrastructure investment Marketing Plan, bid considerations (sport planning, research, facilities, conference centre, storytelling, metrics and theatre/performing arts measurements of success) centre, recreational/outdoor facilities, wayfinding) • Align and leverage local and regional industry stakeholders, • Soft product development partner development entities • Waterfront & downtown and residents with a brand core revitalization promise
50 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 1 TOURISM AS A PRIORITY ECONOMIC SECTOR
RATIONALE
The City of Barrie has already highlighted tourism as a growth opportunity with its Council Strategic Priorities. Adopting a policy recognizing tourism as a priority economic sector will elevate tourism to a prominent role in fostering the prosperity of Barrie and the region and encouraging the renewal of some of the City’s prime assets. As tourism visitations represent a key outcome in the renewal of the downtown core, this policy adoption will add to the overall commitment of the City’s downtown renewal. Tourism will also gain recognition as a considering factor within the overall City of Barrie planning process and policy-making process. The goal is to ensure positive impacts on tourism growth when considering new policies.
Invest Barrie’s Economic & Creative Development department has a quasi-oversight role with respect to Tourism Barrie, although the Destination Marketing Organization’s Board of Directors operates independently from the City of Barrie. The relationship with the Destination Marketing Organization specifically touches on areas where municipal tourism investment will support the marketing efforts and visitor initiatives of Tourism Barrie. Currently, Invest Barrie’s organization does not include a dedicated tourism practitioner within the department.
A fully-engaged tourism role within the department would be required to manage the Tourism Master Plan strategies and coordinate with other City of Barrie departments, with Tourism Barrie and with tourism stakeholders; effectively, that role would serve as the City’s point-person on tourism.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.1 The City officially adopt tourism as a primary economic growth sector and name a tourism champion from within the elected body of City Hall.
1.2 Conduct a review of municipal by-laws and policies to ensure appropriate levels of support for tourism growth and development.
1.3 Establish a full-time tourism development position within the City’s Economic & Creative Development department.
1.4 100% of MAT revenues be used for the direct benefit of tourism marketing and administration, soft product development, bid funding and other tourism centric projects.
1.5 Conduct a mandate, governance and organizational review of Tourism Barrie.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 51 RECOMMENDATIONS SD 1 1.1 The City officially adopt tourism as a primary economic growth sector and name a tourism champion from within the elected body of City Hall.
The City of Barrie will officially move to designate tourism as a primary economic sector. By doing this, City planning and by-law implementation, as well as future infrastructure development, will factor in the impact on tourism growth and prosperity. The designation of tourism as a primary economic sector will ensure the integration of tourism as a strategic sector as the City of Barrie continues to grow and devel- op. Also, as part of this strategy, the City of Barrie will designate an elected official to champion the tour- ism sector and ensure it remains a priority at all levels.
1.2 Conduct a review of municipal by-laws and policies to ensure appropriate levels of support for tourism growth and development.
Over the next 24 months, the City of Barrie will undertake a review of by-laws and policies related to the future growth of the tourism industry, such as wayfinding, waterfront usage, parking policies, permit execution and development attraction. This review will consider the effects of by-laws and policies on the tourism industry and its outputs, as well as the impact, if any, on c ity residents. Proper management of tourism growth is a top priority for the City to ensure a balanced approach between the growth of the City’s tourism offerings and experiences and the well-being of its residents.
1.3 Establish a full-time tourism development position within City Hall.
To properly integrate this policy within other City of Barrie departments and policies, consideration should be given to creating a full-time position within the City dedicated to tourism. This position would ensure coordination with other City departments (recreation, parks, economic development, infrastructure, etc.) for all tourism-related events, activities and policy changes, keeping tourism growth and interests at the forefront. As well, this position would liaise with Tourism Barrie through a service level agreement (SLA) to assist in the delivery of events and activities marketed by Tourism Barrie. As well, the SLA would outline areas of accountability for Tourism Barrie with yearly objectives and metrics.
The recommendation for a fully-engaged tourism role within the Economic and Creative Development Department of the City presumes the need for an added full-time position. This position will undertake a tourism development profile that supports Tourism Barrie while also ensuring that the overall economic development file includes a level of tourism development oversight as outlined in the Tourism Master Plan.
52 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN RESPONSIBILITY CHART Through a service level agreement with Tourism Barrie, the following responsibilities are an example of what each entity would have responsibility for:
CITY OF BARRIE TOURISM ROLE TOURISM BARRIE ROLE
Oversee the MAT annual funding envelope for Act as the official tourism marketing agency of Tourism Barrie and the City of Barrie Barrie. Serve as a full-time conduit between the City Coordinate and manage all tourism sales-related administration and elected Council to ensure initiatives aimed at visitor growth for all identified that the use of marketing funds match the market segments. needs of the City’s economic growth strategies, Develop industry stakeholder marketing programs particularly related to exposing specific aimed at visitor growth. demographic types to Barrie as outlined in this Assist City when and where possible on product Tourism Master Plan. attraction and development (soft and infrastructure). Utilize City MAT resources to incentivize Participate in the Tourism Development Fund organizations to establish new festivals or events Council and Chair the committee. that support the local creative arts and culture segments through the newly created Barrie Produce yearly sales & marketing plan: Tourism Development Fund. • Marketing initiatives Oversee and develop visitor information digital • Digital strategy kiosks in strategic areas such as the waterfront, Dunlop Street, Park Place, etc. • Sales initiatives Represent visitor requirements with respect to • Programming the ongoing enhancement of the wayfinding • Goals and metrics process and the ongoing downtown revitalization plan. Market readiness training for stakeholders and stakeholder relationship management. Participate in Economic Development meetings across Ontario, which increasingly address the Market itinerary development. emerging tourism sector. Work with City on communications strategy Develop a communications strategy to articulate regarding tourism education to the local residents. tourism progress and economic impacts on the Lead sport tourism bidding/development and local residents. hosting standards. Align master plans (tourism and recreation facility), strategies and associated policies for consistency.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 53 RECOMMENDATIONS SD 1 1.4. 100% of MAT revenues be used to provide for the direct benefit of tourism marketing and administration, soft product development, bid funding and other tourism centric projects. The City of Barrie introduced the Municipal Accommodations Tax in 2019, collecting a 4% levy on overnight accommodations, including hotels and Airbnb. This tax, specifically designed to promote the destination and assist in developing its tourism offerings, should be dedicated solely to this purpose. Of the entire MAT collected, 50% of the funds will be programmed for tourism sales and marketing through Tourism Barrie’s annual Sales & Marketing Plan and support the organization’s administrative structure. The remaining 50% will be dedicated to the Barrie Tourism Development Fund (BTDF). The City would form a stakeholder advisory group (City, Tourism Barrie, Stakeholders), which will determine investments in activities related to seeding new tourism experiences, sports and event bidding, as well as soft product development and other tourist-centric projects. The Barrie Tourism Development Fund must be well defined in its purpose, with a clear mandate as to what is tourism-related. Such dedicated funds programs are presently used or are in development in several destinations in Canada (e.g., Moncton, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver, and Victoria). These development funds vary in size and percentage of MAT but are all aimed at visitor attraction.
Two select Ontario municipalities, London and Kingston, have MAT processes in place and serve as appropriate comparator cities to Barrie: • London: A 4% municipal tax is charged on accommodation room rentals which generates approximately $2-3 million annually prior to any COVID-19 related visitor impact. The tax is split evenly between the City of London and Tourism London. London City Council allocates and spends 50% of the total MAT at the beginning of each fiscal year, and therefore is underfunded in current times due to the precipitous drop in hotel demand. Projects such as renovations to RBC Place and the Grand Theatre represent the fund allocation over the past two years. MAT funds are not utilized by the City for staffing; however, in the future, funds may be used for specific temporary hiring for positions during major local events or conventions may be used to fund municipal staff. • Kingston: The 4% MAT tax, which generates approximately $1.5 million of revenue, is invested in Tourism Kingston’s destination marketing, sales and product development efforts to grow visitor spending. A combination of marketing efforts from Kingston Accommodation Partners and Tourism Kingston promotes leisure tourism, meetings & conventions, one-off major sport or concert events, as well as international travel and trade initiatives. Funds are also invested in developing infrastructure and long-term destinations, such as Kingston’s waterfront, to enhance the draw from within Ontario, Quebec and American border-states.
54 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS SD 1 1.5. Conduct a mandate, governance and organizational review of Tourism Barrie.
With the implementation of the MAT and the opportunity for Tourism Barrie to expand its reach and influence, the City will request that the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) conduct a mandate, governance and organizational review. Tourism Barrie’s governance model has been in place for several decades, reflecting its past funding streams, funding levels and mandate. The current Tourism Barrie board structure is one that is dominated by the accommodation and food & beverage sectors and should evolve to include emerging business sectors such as creative industries and technology. See Annex C for best practices.
The current tourism structure includes a stand-alone entity (Destination Marketing Organization), which is established to promote and market the City of Barrie as a leisure travel, sport tournament and meeting destination. Tourism Barrie also holds responsibility for disseminating tourism information through its website, Information Centre and travel product brochures. Tourism Barrie is governed by a board of directors with oversight of travel marketing strategies, allocation of funds against specific source markets, input on marketing creative and messaging, as well as the allocation of staff resources against travel segments.
The implementation of the funding model outlined in Recommendation 4 offers the opportunity for a more dynamic operating environment for Tourism Barrie, and accordingly, the DMO’s mandate, board structure, governance, by-laws and organizational structure should be reviewed and updated where appropriate to reflect the best practices and outcomes of today’s DMO.
Barrie’s future business environment, which will expand significantly throughout this decade, has the potential to include tourism investment in the overall economic development strategy for the City. The governance role of its key tourism marketing organization may be somewhat subtle, but is key to ensuring that industry leaders have an indirect role in the strategic implementation of tourism.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 55 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 MARKET SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (SPORT TOURISM) RATIONALE Barrie is in a strategic location with good access from the GTA and Northern Ontario and has many facilities that can be used as host venues for sport events. Sport tourism is a growing segment of the tourism industry in Canada and globally, and it can be used to expand visitations and the visitor economy while helping to grow sport and participation opportunities for residents. When managed effectively, Sport Tourism can positively impact the local pride of residents and provide them with a new way to engage with and give back to their community. With growth comes added pressure on sport and recreation facility access among regular user groups; therefore, regular and ongoing communication between all stakeholders is required to manage the displacement from facilities during a sporting event. Given Barrie’s growth and increasing demands on sport and recreational facilities, new development can provide a catalyst for strategic facility development that supports both community needs and sport hosting.
RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 Develop a sport tourism strategy that identifies the structure and resources required to attract and host sport events that positively impact the Barrie brand and community via economic, social and sustainability outcomes. 2.2 Develop policy and sustainable funding mechanisms to assist with attracting and hosting new sports events that draw on the City’s existing hosting resources, including local sport facilities and the expertise within local sports organizations. 2.3 Develop a Barrie sport hosting Unique Selling Proposition that can include created or homegrown events, attracted events, sport business meetings and training camps to leverage the proximity to the GTA and access to the rest of Ontario. 2.4 Develop a sustainable Sport Tourism structure that includes all stakeholders and ensures regular and ongoing communication and shared purpose.
RECOMMENDATIONS (SPORT TOURISM) 2.1 Develop a Sport Tourism Strategy that identifies the structure and resources required to attract and host sport events that positively impact the community and enhance the Barrie brand. There is already a guideline in place for the City to build a Sport Tourism Strategy. The STAT Pro report (Sport Tourism Assessment Template), completed by Sport Tourism Canada, includes a 53-point action plan that provides a roadmap to develop a Sport Tourism Strategy. The current resource levels (financial and human) are based on the operating model prior to the introduction of the Municipal Accommodations Tax (MAT) and can be reviewed based on the development of a vision, mission and strategic directions specific to sport tourism. A Sport Tourism Strategy can align with the Tourism Master Plan and existing policy and funding framework and link to the policy objectives of the City of Barrie. Based on the specific sport tourism event impacts (economic, social and sustainability) for Barrie, a sport tourism strategy will identify an action plan that can be inclusive of some or all of the actions identified in the STAT Pro report.
56 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS (SPORT TOURISM) SD 2
2.2 Develop policy and sustainable funding mechanisms to assist with attracting and hosting new sports events that draw on the City’s existing hosting resources, including local sport facilities and the expertise within local sport organizations. With the introduction of the MAT, the City put into action a Council approved Financial Policy Framework that is linked to public policy and accountability. However, a review of this policy, including the MAT, will be updated as part of the next policy review. This policy review will help to engage local sport organizations, sport facility operators and the community while creating clarity and financial certainty for the primary customer group: rights holders for provincial, national and international sport events who conduct the bid process and award the hosting rights. The financial certainty, plus an assessment of the readiness of each local sport group to contribute to the bidding and hosting of successful sport events, will ensure that the right events are attracted to, or developed by Barrie, in collaboration with all local partners.
2.3 Develop a Barrie sport hosting Unique Selling Proposition that can include created or homegrown events, attracted events, sport business meetings and training camps to leverage the proximity to the GTA and access to the rest of Ontario. Barrie has hosted many successful events over many years. There is a good mix of sport and recreational facilities that can be used as event venues for single and multi-sport events. Each event hosted and the elements of the event experience in Barrie (on the field of play plus other experiences) can be captured and catalogued to help formulate the Unique Selling Proposition. Once identified, this Unique Selling Proposition can be communicated to local stakeholders, including accommodations, hospitality businesses and other sectors that can benefit from new business coming to Barrie. The Unique Selling Proposition can also be introduced to local residents to help inform the bigger picture of how sport tourism can create public good while balancing the disruption to recreation facility access during sport events. Most importantly, the Unique Selling Proposition is part of the promise or commitment that can be made to rights holders who will decide if Barrie is the right host destination for their event.
2.4 Develop a sustainable sport tourism structure that includes all stakeholders and ensures regular and ongoing communication and shared purpose. More communication on a more regular basis will engage stakeholders in sport tourism and will help to build credibility among the lead organization that is charged with the attraction/development of new sport event activity, and ensure that the transfer of knowledge from each event provides lessons learned for continual improvement in both bidding and hosting. There are several examples of operating models in Ontario; Brantford, London, Thunder Bay, and the Waterloo Region are suggested as a potential benchmark set.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 57 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 2 MARKET SECTOR DEVELOPMENT (BUSINESS EVENTS) RATIONALE
The business events segment was on a strong growth trajectory for many destinations in Canada, pre-COVID-19. Predictions of a return to normal for business events are envisioned for 2022-23. Business event delegates spend on average twice as much as leisure travellers and use a broader selection of services within a destination. The GTA, being both the largest business events market and destination in Canada, received record levels of business in the last few years, causing issues of space saturation and pricing. Tourism Toronto reported another record year in 2019 for business events (575,000 delegates, 1124 large events going through the DMO, 19 City-wide, $1.24 billion in spending, over $10 billion in economic impact on the City). This has led to an increased demand for meeting destinations outside of the GTA within a reasonable driving distance. Barrie’s close proximity to the GTA positions it to benefit from this influx of demand. In order to take full advantage of this positioning, the City is exploring options to increase its ability to host larger and more lucrative business events. The downtown core is being considered as a potential location for an eventual conference facility (Fisher site), as part of its revitalization efforts. Future potential for business events in Barrie will only be realized if a facility is ultimately built with connected or adjacent accommodation. (Refer to Fisher Auditorium for a full analysis of facility requirements.)
RECOMMENDATIONS 2.5 Solicit private developers to consider a hotel and conference centre development in Downtown Barrie. 2.6 Tourism Barrie to target GTA and region for corporate and provincial association business events. 2.7 Tourism Barrie to work with local suppliers to ensure that adequate MC&IT services are available to meeting planners (i.e., telecom and AV, destination management services, off-site event venues & catering, transportation).
58 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS (BUSINESS EVENTS) SD 2 2.5 Solicit private developers to consider a hotel and conference centre development in Downtown Barrie. Many meeting planners will not consider booking a conference centre if the facility is not connected or adjacent to a hotel with an adequate inventory of rooms. This was true pre-COVID-19 and will remain true post-COVID-19. Being connected or adjacent to a vibrant new conference centre is an attractive investment opportunity for a hotel developer, as it will provide the hotelier with a competitive advantage in meeting planners who choose Barrie as their destination. However, if a City-owned conference facility (Fisher site project) is not found to be financially viable, a developer could also be enticed to build a hotel with a larger meeting space that would still position Barrie as a potential meetings destination. If this were to be the case, the following criteria should be considered for such a facility: • Room inventory in the range of 250-300 units; • Approximately 10,000 to 15,000 sq. ft. of dining, plenary, breakout and boardroom space; • Adequate parking for guests; • A three-meal-per-day restaurant; • Recreation facilities and a business centre.
2.6 Tourism Barrie to target GTA and region for corporate and provincial association business events. Just as the GTA is the biggest feeder market for leisure visitation, so it is for business events. Therefore, Tourism Barrie, as the key tourism sales entity for the City, will concentrate its sales efforts primarily in the GTA, but also locally and regionally within Ontario. Tourism Barrie will target corporate meetings and Canadian and provincial association conferences of 500 or fewer delegates. This recommendation will be subject to the development of a new conference facility and hotel.
2.7 Tourism Barrie and the City of Barrie to work with local suppliers to ensure that adequate Meetings & Conference services are available to meeting planners, such as telecom and AV, destination management services, off-site event venues and catering, and transportation. Meeting planners tend to favour destinations that offer important services for assisting with the successful execution of their conference and the enjoyment of the destination by the conference delegates. Destinations that offer services and activities that help make the meeting planner’s task easier and ensure that delegates are able to experience the full extent of the destination’s attributes have a competitive edge over those that do not have as much to offer. Regardless of whether it’s a new City-owned conference centre or a privately developed hotel and conference centre that is built, the development of a variety of associated services and activities both within and outside of Barrie will be important, such as:
• Telecommunication and audio-visual services offered through the conference centre or third-party; • Destination Management Companies (DMC’s) that offer a menu of planning assistance in areas pertaining to off-site venues and activities, event programming, décor, entertainment booking and transportation requirements; • A variety of off-site venues for meeting, catering, and entertainment programming, including but not limited to private and public sector heritage sites, arts and cultural venues, and sport and activity facilities offering options like golf, skiing, and nature sites for team-building activities; • A private and/or public sector transportation network offering transport of delegates to off-site venues and activities.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 59 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT RATIONALE Municipal investment in its tourism assets and supporting infrastructure is a function of stimulating future visitor demand by investing directly in a new asset designed to grow tourism receipts or by nurturing and facilitating private investment related to serving travellers’ needs. The ultimate goal lies in providing a quality visitor experience within Barrie.
Tourism investment not only directly supports the capital requirements of a facility, as it may also exist as a level of support for private investments, food & beverage establishments, accommodation developers or entertainment companies.
Municipalities may support their local tourism entrepreneurs through infrastructure-related investments that shape and facilitate the quality of the visitor experience. Such investments in outdoor recreational development may include cycling paths, hiking and cross-country trails, as well as transportation links, all these project’s serve the greater good of the local tourism industry.
The ongoing attraction of the young, technically skilled demographic to the City is clearly supported by the current investment in a revitalized downtown core; the recently completed streetscape improvements in Barrie’s downtown, coupled with a brand identity defining the City, play a leading role in visitor attraction. Dunlop Street (adjacent to Barrie’s waterfront) will become a visitor draw as a result of more robust retail, and the dining and entertainment sector will position the City as a viable ‘attractor’ within the GTA and mid-Ontario.
INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (SPORTS FACILITIES) RATIONALE It is important to note that sport event hosting can achieve multiple outcomes: economic, social/cultural and sustainability. As Barrie matures as a sport tourism destination, it will be important to weigh the benefits of all sport events based on established criteria rooted in Barrie’s sport tourism strategies and public policy. Once these strategies and priorities are established, a more comprehensive sport facility planning exercise can be undertaken to examine community use and strategic priorities for the residents of Barrie and business growth targets from sport tourism.
Based on the assessment of Barrie’s sport hosting infrastructure (Annex B - Sport Facilities), the current position suggests a focus on provincial-level sport with some limited potential for national and international competition in specific sports and venues.
On the current readiness for multi-sport events, the rating of Barrie would be low, given the lack of athletics and aquatics facilities that meet the technical specifications for the provincial level and beyond. Therefore, the current focus should be on single-sport events based on the current facility and local organizational capacity, and availability and interest in developing sport tourism.
The current mix of sport facilities in Barrie provides a good base for community use and some provincial competitions. Further development of sport event infrastructures, such as dressing rooms and multi-function spaces, will allow for targeted national event attraction.
60 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (SPORTS FACILITIES) SD 3
RATIONALE CONTINUED As the population of Barrie continues to grow, and the recreational facility requirements require redevelopment of existing facilities or development of new ones, there are several considerations that will require a balance of community use and event attraction, including: • Aquatic facilities to support water-based sports and multi-sport competitions (if aquatics sports and multi-sport event hosting are part of a future sport tourism strategy); • Outdoor facilities to enable single and multi-sport hosting (athletics track with spaces for jumping and throwing events); • Facilities for sports that represent the changing interests among Barrie’s demographics (e.g. facilities for Cricket and Pickleball); • Opportunities to leverage the natural infrastructure of Kempenfelt Bay for water-based sport and recreation.
As part of a sport-centred asset planning exercise, both recreation facility master planning and sport tourism strategies must be aligned. From the input of sport stakeholders, it is clear that there is a need for future sport facility planning to be inclusive; it is important to balance the needs of community and user groups with the attraction of sport events that can draw visitors and businesses at key times of the year.
As the process for the future development of sport and recreation facilities continues, it is recommended that there be alignment with other tourism infrastructure development. Sport tourism and rights holders of sport events are looking to maximize the positive impacts their events can have on communities while managing the displacement of other businesses or relocation of regular users. The investment criteria should ensure that sport tourism can help to drive business during key times of the annual calendar through a coordinated and planned approach.
RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Fully leverage Sadlon Arena as a catalyst venue for sport event attraction through a long-term event attraction plan that includes mid-size concerts, ice sports as core (hockey, figure skating, curling and ringette) and valuation of secondary sport and entertainment options. 3.2 Complete the proposed actions in the Sport Tourism Assessment Template (STAT) Report related to sport facility development: Task #10 – Conduct a comprehensive sport venue assessment and gap analysis to include fields of play and ancillary rooms/spaces; Task #27 – Develop a Barrie sport tourism strategy; Task #28 – Develop a sport event attraction strategy; Task #29 – Align venue inventory assessment recommendations with Recreation Facility Master Plan; Task #38 – Produce a capital scope of work that is linked to the next major international event opportunity. 3.3 Subject to the outcome of the process outlined in 3.2, develop a cost-benefit plan for the Barrie Community Sport Complex to enable dressing, meeting and ancillary room infrastructure for outdoor and field sport events (temporary or permanent).
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 61 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 3 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (NON-SPORTS FACILITIES) RATIONALE Barrie’s projected population growth over the next decade will transform the look and feel of the City and will require investments in certain areas of infrastructure development in order to accommodate the influx of residents. Properly planned, these same investments could also upgrade Barrie’s tourism industry and help attract more year-round visitations. Tourism investment not only directly supports the capital requirements of a facility; it may also exist as a level of support for private investments, food & beverage establishments, accommodation developers or entertainment companies. The municipality can also consider policy changes, which will help attract more investment. The City’s ability to also invest in outdoor recreational developments, such as cycling paths, hiking and cross-country trails and transportation links, will serve the greater good of the local tourism industry. Investments in outdoor recreational activities will meet the growing demand for these types of activities, a demand now further driven by the COVID-19 pandemic.
RECOMMENDATIONS 3.4 Invest in Barrie’s outdoor natural parks and water assets, which offer high value to visitors seeking trails, cycling paths, lakeside beaches, angling, and pleasure boating amenities. 3.5 Invest in the development and support of live entertainment venues, ensuring that destination marketing & promotion efforts continue to highlight the City’s live entertainment asset. 3.6 Explore and evaluate the redevelopment of City lands to build a City-owned arts and conference centre.
3.4 Rationale: Outdoor Parks & Trails
A destination possessing four significant waterfront parks, Allandale Station, Centennial Beach, Johnson’s Beach, and Minet’s Point Park for windsurfing on the shores of Kempenfelt Bay, which offers visitors a variety of outdoor pursuits nearby and accessibility to the services of the downtown core. Barrie’s waterfront provides access to summer sailing, angling and beach activity in much closer proximity to the GTA than other competitive destinations.
Outdoor experiences located near Barrie, including hiking and cycling trails – with 70 km of off-road trails, 45 km of cycle tracks, and 80 km of buffered bike lanes – offer a visitor a host of outdoor physical activities. Additionally, nearby ski resorts and the local water activities available along with Kempenfelt Bay appeal not only to an independent, younger demographic and families, but to a more mature, active demographic as well.
The opportunity to profile Barrie’s outdoor four-season experiences is less about a major capital outlay than a commitment to support the development of competitive and family leisure events around cycling, and potentially snow-related events during the winter period. There is also an opportunity to support third-party businesses/instructors to develop peak-season participatory events that both animate the natural spaces and connect to regional marketing efforts on behalf of the destination.
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3.4 Rationale: Outdoor Parks & Trails CONTINUED
Barrie offers a variety of visitor experiences in summer on the waterfront and cycling trails, as well as during the winter months when Kempenfelt Bay freezes to provide ice fishing. The opportunity also exists from a product development perspective to focus on continuing to animate the spring and fall seasons.
There exist two areas of investment potential to upgrade Barrie’s active outdoor experiences: • Cycling within the municipality and the broader region. • Existing nature trails accessed by hikers and cyclists.
The Ontario Commuter Cycling Program provides funding for Ontario municipalities of up to 80% of the cost of implementing local cycling projects, and promoting cycling over driving within the City and nearby region. The City may be eligible for funding within the overall $40M-plus provincial budget when developing a viable cycling plan to move citizens throughout Barrie.
The City has embarked on a robust program for local cyclists, which, in turn, supports its value as a destination for cycle tourism, recognizing that the Active Transportation Strategy targets commuters by providing alternative means of travel through Barrie. The program may consider targeting additional routes that feed cyclists to and from the primary cycling trails, and those that feed into the downtown core.
Barrie’s impressive array of local nature and hiking trails, such as the Waterfront Trail and parks such as Sunnidale Park and the Ardagh Bluffs in the City’s hillier west sector, are an attractive option for the active outdoor regional traveller.
RECOMMENDATIONS CYCLING 3.4.1 Develop, within a local park, both a BMX cycle and skateboard site targeting a young adult demographic, with the intention of attracting families from within the region who wish to combine family hikes with more active pursuits. NATURE TRAILS 3.4.2 Reassess current wayfinding on trails to incorporate directions to food & beverage and retail sectors and promote pre/post spending by hikers on those trails typically separated from these facilities.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 63 INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT (NON-SPORTS FACILITIES) SD 3
3.5 Rationale: Live Entertainment, Arts, Theatre & Culture
Barrie possesses a remarkably large inventory of high-profile concerts, live music bars and festivals for a city its size. The current live entertainment inventory combines all-season live theatre with downtown bars and larger facilities such as the Sadlon Arena, the MacLaren Art Centre, the Five Points Theatre, and Georgian Theatre can help define the destination for specific demographics. The annual Troubadour Festival, held each September at Meridian Place, additionally supports Barrie’s positioning as a regional hub for live entertainment.
The City of Barrie has a clear opportunity to strategically position itself across the north GTA and through Muskoka and Georgian Bay as a hub for concert and live theatre activity. Supported by venues within or nearby the downtown core, the two entertainment streams of live theatre and music may serve as a focus for future municipal investment. The execution of the Fisher Auditorium Project would advance this positioning.
RECOMMENDATIONS 3.5.1 Meridian Place – the urban Amphitheatre on Barrie’s waterfront in the city centre – requires no further infrastructure spending but does require support in conjunction with the BIA to activate its programming and develop it as the City’s town centre. 3.5.2 Support Barrie’s live entertainment venues with an element of MAT support, using the Barrie Tourism Development Fund, in organizing a fall or winter music week. The BIA would organize this with incubator funding support for all venues, which would feature a combination of upstart and profiled Ontario bands in all downtown establishments.
3.6 Explore and evaluate the redevelopment of city lands to build a City-owned theatre and conference centre.
Given the close proximity of GTA-based organizations, Barrie is currently missing out on a significant opportunity to host larger theatre and concert productions as well as meetings and conferences, which could drive incremental visitations, tourism and MAT revenues, economic impact and destination brand awareness. Meeting planner research indicates that the development of a purpose-built conference centre, capable of hosting up to 400 delegates and located downtown in very close proximity to future hotels, would provide a strong incentive for bringing Meeting & Conference business to Barrie. There is also demand by promoters for a large and modern theatre in the region. Therefore, the City plans to explore the potential of a City-owned theatre and conference facility with the following criteria in mind: • Sufficient public floor space and meeting rooms, designed for maximum flexibility in their usage; • Significant architectural merit; • Outfitted with state-of-the-art technology and catering capability; • Ample parking on-site or adjacent; • Connected or adjacent to a hotel with sufficient accommodations and supporting meeting space.
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3.6 Explore and evaluate the redevelopment of city lands to build a City-owned theatre and conference centre. CONTINUED
Further information on a potential conference centre can be found in the separately commissioned Barrie Conference/Events Centre Feasibility Study, January 2020.
If the above project were not to be realized by the City, it is highly recommended that the City pursue private developers to put forward similar developments. These facilities would not necessarily need to be under one roof and could be developed separately. Nevertheless, any private conference centre project should be joined to a hotel to ensure maximum selling potential.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 65 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 4 SOFT PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT RATIONALE Soft products in tourism are defined as those not requiring major infrastructure investments and/or based on using existing infrastructure (festivals, pop-up art installations, outdoor theatre, tours, non-permanent activities, biking tours, guided trail hikes, water activities, food, wine, shopping tours, etc.). The Barrie region already has plenty to offer in the way of soft product development. Incorporating such experiences as outdoor activities, parks, festivals, concerts, nightlife and culinary into the tourism offering will help grow tourism visitations over the short term and during shoulder seasons. The opportunity to profile Barrie’s outdoor four-season experiences is less about major capital outlay than it is a commitment to support the development of competitive and family leisure events around cycling or snow-related events during the winter. As well, supporting third-party businesses/instructors in developing peak-season participatory events that both animate the natural spaces and connect to regional marketing efforts on behalf of the destination will help shoulder these offers. The demand for more of these soft products and experiences have certainly been accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving Barrie in an excellent position to leverage its existing assets.
RECOMMENDATIONS 4.1 Develop a product development strategy to enhance the off-season, integrating two active outdoor events (summer/fall and winter) that utilize local or regional trails and/or the waterfront with the purpose of developing an enhanced profile for Barrie’s active outdoor image and culture. 4.2 Utilize MAT for product enhancement of the spring and fall shoulder periods when the regional target traveller is seeking day trips that include outdoor activity. 4.3 Develop a culinary tourism profile for Barrie to compete with the expanding culinary product promotion across Ontario’s municipalities and tourism regions.
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4.1 Develop a product development strategy to enhance the off-season, integrating two active outdoor events (summer/fall and winter) that utilize local or regional trails, the waterfront and/or cultural events with the purpose of developing an enhanced profile for Barrie’s active outdoor image and culture.
Tourism Barrie already has strong relations with many of the regional tourism stakeholders. Working with many regional stakeholders and the City, Tourism Barrie can further develop outdoor experiences such as cycling circuits, winter events (skiing, skating, winter festivals, snowshoeing events), fall colours and harvest activities, food festivals, and waterfront activities using established facilities such as parks, the waterfront and farms. Consideration of innovative pop-up art installations within the waterfront, downtown or parks could also contribute to drawing in visitation. As COVID-19 has drastically increased the demand for outdoor activities, Barrie stands to gain significant visitation growth opportunities with its outdoor experiences.
4.2. Utilize the MAT for product enhancement of the spring and fall shoulder periods when the regional target traveller is seeking day trips that include outdoor activity.
As part of the new Barrie Tourism Development Fund, consideration will be given to soft product development favouring shoulder and off-season experiences. In order for Barrie to benefit from year-round visitation, it is important to offer targeted markets activities and experiences that will continue to attract visitors throughout the year. These experiences could be related to sports and entertainment activities or festivals. Working with regional stakeholders, the City can encourage entrepreneurs looking to establish non-peak season experiences.
4.3 Develop a culinary tourism profile for Barrie to compete with the expanding culinary product promotion across Ontario’s municipalities and tourism regions.
The farm-to-table culinary experience is one that has been surfacing throughout Southern Ontario over the past decade as a key driver of tourism activity. Barrie already has a successful Farmers’ Market that annually attracts thousands of people. By working with local vendors, restaurants and suppliers, the City can tap into the trending farm-to-table culinary experience popularity and establish a strategy and marketing campaign that rivals similar products in the province, but with the advantage of being so much closer to the GTA.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 67 BUILDING THE DESTINATION STRATEGIC DIRECTION 5 WATERFRONT & DOWNTOWN CORE REVITALIZATION RATIONALE The waterfront and downtown core of Barrie are the cornerstones of the city’s Unique Selling Proposition. Encouraging visitors to drive into town rather than simply driving by is a prime objective. In order to build the interest to drive downtown, the core must offer appealing visitor options such as hotels, quality food and beverage outlets, specialty retail, coffee shops, arts and cultural activities and rental shops (bikes, skates, watercraft). This Strategic Direction supports the City Centre Revitalization as part of the Downtown Commercial Master Plan renewal initiatives now underway. The basis for this Strategic Direction is to ensure that the visitor economy is incorporated into future iterations of the City’s redevelopment plan. Within these considerations, tourism visitor management plays an important role in ensuring that increased visitation to the downtown core and waterfront can be properly managed, mitigating any risk of over-tourism.
RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 That the City considers tourism-related infrastructure when planning further development in the downtown core. Priority should be given to new shops and/or services that may help attract visitors and locals alike. 5.2 That the City Centre Revitalization and Parking Strategy process considers upgraded tourism wayfinding and parking enhancements to facilitate access to Barrie’s popular waterfront activities, food & beverage offerings and cultural assets.
RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 That the City considers tourism-related infrastructure when planning further development in the downtown core. Priority should be given to new shops and/or services which may help attract visitors and locals alike. For the visitor economy to continue to grow in the downtown core, visitors must be attracted by services and experiences. The City of Barrie has committed to revitalizing the downtown core; within this process, the City intends to favour unique and innovative shops, restaurants, lodging and service providers. The City envisions its downtown core as a pleasant area in which to spend quality time and therefore must be able to offer experiences that are not found in other municipalities. A key element of the downtown core infrastructure is the availability of high-quality, boutique-style accommodation, which supports visitor walking, browsing and spending on nearby food & beverage and services. The revitalization should also help provide greater safety for visitors and locals alike within all areas of the downtown core. 5.2 That the City Centre Revitalization and Parking Strategy process considers upgraded tourism wayfinding and parking enhancements to facilitate access to Barrie’s popular waterfront activities, food & beverage offerings and cultural assets. An important component of Barrie’s downtown core revitalization is the degree to which the visitor is attracted to the improved streetscapes, retail amenities, and upgraded hotels and restaurants. Additionally, wayfinding and accessible parking are tourism assets that facilitate access to key spending districts in the destination. Clearly, the expansion of sidewalks, coupled with the addition of upgraded street lighting and other storefront enhancements, will improve the downtown experience for locals and visitors alike.
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CITY OF OTTAWA 2018/19 • Developed a broad-based wayfinding system that promotes visitor discovery by integrating information, identity cues and special events while connecting the Capital Region’s districts together; • Embarked on a process to create a ‘legible’ City for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users and drivers.
Key Features: • Provided walking and cycling times between highlighted points of interest and attractions; • Developed consistency of pictograms used across all sign systems; • Provided a strict process of digital upkeep by business owners/management.
YORK REGION 2019 • Developed a consistent set of principles for residents and visitors. • Established four principles of wayfinding: • Predictability – regional consistency in all signage visuals and descriptions for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians; • Progressive Disclosure – strict guidelines on the degree of manageable information offered; • Progression – accounts for how signage viewing is affected by car & cyclist travel speeds; • Connectivity – directional signage provided at regular intervals to establish recognition for drivers/cyclists/pedestrians.
Both wayfinding studies established strict guidelines on digital information upkeep and consistency of messaging from business stakeholders.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 69 RECOMMENDATIONS SD 5
RATIONALE TOURISM WAYFINDING (EXPANDED WAYFINDING AND PARKING STUDY IN ANNEX D)
Wayfinding has become a key foundation of the visitor experience, guiding a visitor from a broader region to specific points of interest, particularly those which involve numerous opportunities for higher visitor spending. Any municipality which identifies tourism as an economic generator recognizes the value of directing visitors (both drivers and pedestrians) to key attractions, food & beverage and retail districts. The key objectives of destination wayfinding are as follows: • Offer a coordinated system which orients visitors to the destination, shows the scope of sites and activities available, and encourages exploration of the destination; • Enhance tourism spending by facilitating the exploration of the available attractions, natural sites, retail and dining experiences. Barrie’s current wayfinding process requires updating, as recent industry enhancements such as on-street digital mechanisms facilitate visitor access to tourism assets, fostering enhanced tourism spending. Considering the many visitor experiences available in Barrie in both summer and winter, there exists the opportunity to brand the downtown experiences with wayfinding signage on regional highways or arterial roads. The Ontario TODS program, responsible for the Hwy 400 tourism signage, provides the first access for visitors to the downtown core, an area where the branding of Barrie’s ‘new’ downtown core may be profiled. A further opportunity exists on arterial city roads to create specific branding such as ‘live entertainment district,’ ‘fashion district’ and the obvious branding of the waterfront. A municipal Wayfinding Strategy includes recommendations on highway/arterial road signage and an associated parking strategy to support the length of stay for visitors in high spending locations.
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Barrie’s Parking Strategy The City of Barrie recently updated its 2011 parking study to identify future parking requirements within the downtown core and waterfront districts. Over the past decade, the City core has experienced intensified parking demands, particularly related to the growing tourist demand in summer and fall within the downtown core near the waterfront. A revised 2019 Downtown Barrie parking study concluded that expanding parking options in both the core and adjacent to the waterfront was not a desired strategy; rather, better distribution of parking demand, particularly during the warm season weekends, was the desired option. Additional elements of the parking study recommendations included offering less expensive long-term parking options to visitors and developing an enhanced wayfinding process for those seeking parking spaces. A digital parking app to facilitate parking fee payments is key to alleviating both congestion and driver frustration when accessing the downtown assets along the waterfront and in the nearby commercial core.
RECOMMENDATIONS 5.2.1 Invest in new tourism wayfinding methods that direct visitors to tourism experiences in the Barrie region and include: • Arterial road signage that clearly highlights the city’s key asset categories; • Digital free-standing units that direct visitors and provide real-time promotional information within the downtown core, waterfront and outdoor assets such as hiking or cycling trails. 5.2.2 With the many visitor experiences available in Barrie in both summer and winter, consider branding these experiences and promoting them on a regional highway or arterial road signage. Create specific branding, such as: • Live Entertainment District; • Fashion District (Post-Dunlop revitalization); • Year-round sport (gaming/rock climbing). 5.2.3 Consider branding signage for the current accommodation cluster in both the south end and the downtown lodging sector once new hotel developments are completed.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 71 DELIVERING THE EXPERIENCE STRATEGIC DIRECTION 6 VISITOR EXPERIENCE DESIGN RATIONALE Successful destinations have managed to align their tourism community under a consistent and well-defined design of what the visitor can experience, reflective of the destination’s brand and Unique Selling Proposition. Well-defined visitor experiences ensure the traveller is well aware of what the destination will offer throughout their travel experience and that their experience equals or exceeds expectations. Aligning stakeholders goes far beyond being friendly and welcoming. Visitor experience design consists of a large spectrum of elements including: • Communications and marketing messaging; • Ease of finding the desired products and experiences to purchase; • Ease of booking desired experiences; • Ease of access to the destination (roads, trains, planes, wayfinding); • Proper management of visitation flow and consumption; • A tourism community working together to deliver exceptional experiences and memories; • Being on the cutting edge of market and product trends; • Ensuring that tourism products and experiences are memorable and consistent with the destination’s Unique Selling Proposition. Product development flows much in the same manner and aims to identify gaps in the visitor experience; to fill those gaps, ensure both existing and new products are relevant to the desired visitor experience.
RECOMMENDATIONS 6.1 Working with Tourism Barrie and tourism stakeholders, create Barrie’s own visitor experience design to ensure alignment throughout the path to purchase and the visitor’s experience.
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6.1. Working with Tourism Barrie and tourism stakeholders, create Barrie’s own visitor experience design to ensure alignment throughout the path to purchase and the visitor’s experience.
DIGITAL TOUCHPOINTS
Paid Content I Mark t Apps Br USP Messaging Renewed Offers
Social Media Posting D g tal Wayfinding Websites Online Presence Search Story Telling Survey
AWARENESS CONSIDERATION AQUISITION SERVICE LOYALTY
PR D rect Mail St k ho r Alignment Mailings Co t t Experience Delivery ord of Mouth S s Efforts ord of Mouth O e Booking, E e of Access, Visitor Flow
PHYSICAL and EMOTIONAL TOUCHPOINTS
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 73 DELIVERING THE EXPERIENCE STRATEGIC DIRECTION 7 STRATEGIC ALLIANCES & PARTNERSHIPS RATIONALE The City of Barrie and Tourism Barrie cannot go at it alone. Their strength and ability to properly market the Barrie region will depend on their ability to rely on strategic alliances. The first of these are stakeholders representing existing tourism products and experiences, with whom Tourism Barrie is already strongly connected. Packaging experiences, telling compelling stories and delivering world-class memories will serve to grow Barrie’s reputation and visitors. Other partners, such as the City of Barrie, Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Barrie Business Improvement Area (BIA), also play a key role in the overall Barrie experience by helping to align the development of infrastructure and services in the city in a way that benefits tourism. Local residents are a major component in this strategy; as they coexist with visitors, residents must be an active part of the experience and storytelling. They are the ones who will support Barrie’s image as a welcoming, warm and friendly place to visit. Partnerships with other regional, provincial and national bodies (Destination Canada, Destination Ontario, RTO7, Tourism Simcoe County) will also be con- sidered as partners for markets and initiatives that can drive visitation to Barrie.
RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Work with partners to develop year-round experiences and promotion. 7.2 Consider non-traditional partners as being part of the tourism story.
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7.1 Work with partners to develop year-round experiences and promotions.
One of Tourism Barrie’s primary objectives is to create buying opportunities for Barrie’s tourism products. To do this and help streamline the visitor’s experience, tourism partners need to work together. Part of this consists of offering experiences year-round to potential buyers. Working with stakeholders and monitoring the likes and wants of the desired clientele will ensure new product innovation is well thought-out to maximize visitation. Partnering with regional tourism marketing organizations (RTO7, Tourism Simcoe County, Destination Ontario) serves to broaden the appeal and reach of marketing campaigns.
7.2 Consider non-traditional partners as being part of the tourism story
Tourism growth is not only limited to tourism partners. Non-traditional partners can also play a role in the Barrie tourism story. The largest potential partner is the City’s residents. They can certainly play a large role in promoting Barrie to friends and family, and ensuring the City is a friendly place to visit. Barrie is a municipality with an emerging creative economy resident-base largely under the age of forty, one which will be fundamental in increasing Visitor Friend and Relatives (VFR) tourism spending in Barrie. The evolution of the tourism messaging platform should be mindful of the impact that a younger, educated citizenry is having on the image and positioning of Barrie in a way similar to the extraordinary impact that the technology sector has had on Kitchener-Waterloo. Non-traditional partners can range from telcos, banks and automotive, to food and beverage companies.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 75 TELLING THE TOURISM STORY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 8 COMPELLING DESTINATION BRAND PROMISE & UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION RATIONALE Identifying a strong and Unique Selling Proposition is key to the success of any destination. A Unique Selling Proposition must be well-considered and outward-facing and must resonate with the City’s targeted audience. It should be easily identifiable to the Barrie region and should convey a sense of wanting to know more, which will move a visitor along the path to purchase from dreaming to buying. The Unique Selling Proposition should resonate with the local population and, more importantly, speak to the potential visitor. A Unique Selling Proposition helps form the basis of an overall branding exercise, which is key to positively placing a destination in the minds of the consumer and target markets. Tourism is one piece of a broader development strategy; Barrie will consider this sector when elaborating its overall brand strategy.
RECOMMENDATIONS 8.1 Working with the City and stakeholders such as the BIA and a professional agency, Tourism Barrie will be responsible for developing a tourism Unique Selling Proposition that will resonate with target markets.
As part of this, the city’s brand should also position Barrie’s creative economy to further attract a technically skilled workforce. Barrie’s historic image as a ‘blue-collar’ City has been evolving over the past decade to one which is expanding its population base with a younger, technology-driven demographic. Tourism Barrie and the City’s branding does not need to be the same but must be aligned in what it is trying to convey.
Municipal tourism marketing practitioners across Ontario are increasingly taking advantage of the ‘City brand’ elements that support the increase of employees migrating to creative economy jobs in cities like Barrie. When developing the tourism Unique Selling Proposition, the City should consider a broader focus on Barrie’s essence and its evolving state as a creative economy destination.
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8.1 Working with the City and stakeholders such as the BIA and a professional agency, Tourism Barrie will be responsible for developing a tourism Unique Selling Proposition that will resonate with target markets. Developing a Unique Selling Proposition is not an easy task and warrants a well-thought-out process. The Unique Selling Proposition should take into consideration some of the already identified attributes outlined in this Tourism Master Plan, such as:
WATERFRONT The City’s main tourism asset is its waterfront and the multiple assets and activities it offers to attract visitors. DOWNTOWN CORE GTA PROXIMITY Play off the redevelopment of the Literally being just up the road downtown core and its unique from the GTA offers Barrie a shops and entertainment venues. choice position to entice both day and overnight visitation.
AFFORDABILITY FESTIVALS Barrie is an affordable option Already well known for two for the targeted profile when major Ontario festivals, Barrie compared to its local and can certainly leverage its regional competition. reputation as a place to visit. SPORTS Barrie’s sports facilities are already well recognized for amature sports tournaments.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 77 TELLING THE TOURISM STORY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 9 DESTINATION MARKETING STRATEGIC PLAN RATIONALE Tourism Barrie will commit to conducting a comparator destination study of strategic initiatives currently emerging across Ontario’s municipalities to address sport markets, tech cities, outdoor assets and other comparative products. It will also develop a Three-Year Strategic Plan to guide the destination’s sales and marketing efforts. The Plan will align with the City of Barrie’s Tourism Master Plan’s strategic directions wherever appropriate. The 3-Year Plan will target specific market segments identified as having the highest growth opportunity for Barrie. These include priority sectors, such as leisure, sports and business events. The Plan will take into consideration sales and marketing initiatives likely to yield the highest possible return on investment, as well as increasing visitation levels, length of stay and extending shoulder seasons.
RECOMMENDATIONS 9.1 Tourism Barrie to initiate a Three-Year Strategic Plan for approval by its board of directors. 9.2 Tourism Barrie to produce a yearly Sales & Marketing Plan and metrics. 9.3 Tourism Barrie to ensure continued communications with the City of Barrie and alignment with the City’s Tourism Master Plan.
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9.1 Tourism Barrie to initiate a Three-Year Strategic Plan for approval by its Board of Directors. As part of its overall review, Tourism Barrie will initiate a Three-Year Strategic Plan that will set a clear direction for the organization, aligning with the City’s Tourism Master Plan. As a tourism marketing body responsible for telling Barrie’s tourism story, Tourism Barrie will define its role, its governance, its high-level strategies, objectives, and metrics through this plan. Tourism Barrie’s Board of Directors will approve the Strategic Plan.
9.2 Tourism Barrie to produce a yearly Sales & Marketing Plan and metrics.
Based on the Three-Year Strategic Plan’s overall directions, Tourism Barrie will produce an actionable yearly Sales & Marketing Plan outlining the strategies and tactics it intends to initiate within the coming year. This document will be more concise and tactically driven with related metrics.
9.3 Tourism Barrie to ensure continued communications with the City of Barrie and alignment with the City’s Tourism Master Plan. Tourism Barrie, being designated as the City’s tourism marketing agency, will promote and sell the Barrie tourism experience, ensure ongoing communication and alignment strategies with the City of Barrie, and with the City’s departments with the most interaction of tourism-related initiatives. Where appropriate, Tourism Barrie will align its own strategies with the longer-term strategies in the Tourism Master Plan.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 79 TELLING THE TOURISM STORY STRATEGIC DIRECTION 10 INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS & RESIDENTS ALIGNED WITH BRAND PROMISE RATIONALE For Tourism Barrie to succeed in its mandate as the official tourism marketing and promotional agency for the City of Barrie, all partners must align under a common strategy. With the new Tourism Master Plan, the City of Barrie has taken the first step in setting the overall direction for tourism for the region. Formalizing tourism as a primary economic sector contributor and job creator, the City has solidified its long-term commitment to this sector and its economic success. The challenge now is to ensure that Barrie’s residents also realize the economic benefits of the industry in helping to grow and develop the City and its offerings to both visitors and locals alike. The City, along with strategic partners such as Tourism Barrie, the Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA), will continue to educate residents about the tourism industry’s progression through a communications strategy aimed directly at the local population.
RECOMMENDATIONS 10.1 Incorporate ongoing messaging to residents through a dedicated communications strategy. 10.2 Initiate an annual online survey to residents regarding tourism initiatives and results to measure public awareness and acceptance. 10.3 Open Tourism Barrie’s AGM to residents.
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10.1 Incorporate ongoing messaging to residents through a dedicated communications strategy.
The City and Tourism Barrie will initiate an ongoing communications strategy for residents about tourism initiatives and progression. With data and results supplied by Tourism Barrie, the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, BIA and the Economic & Creative Development department, the City will be able to inform its residents of news related to Tourism Master Plan developments. This will be accomplished by: • Highlighting quarterly results at town hall meetings and on the City and Tourism Barrie’s websites; • Incorporating related tourism news in regular City communications.
10.2 Initiate an annual online survey to residents regarding tourism initiatives and results to measure public awareness and acceptance.
Based on the above communications strategy, the City will initiate an annual online residents survey to garner the pulse of the local population as it relates to tourism developments and initiatives and overall public acceptance of tourism growth.
10.3 Open Tourism Barrie’s AGM to residents. To involve and communicate with the residents of Barrie, Tourism Barrie will open its Annual General Meeting to all residents of Barrie. As is customary at an AGM, the past year’s results will be presented, and upcoming initiatives will also be shared. Residents will have non-voting status.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 81 Phase 1 to be initiated within 6 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS months, each phase thereafter to have a 6-12-month duration. COVID-19 recovery may alter ACTIONS AND TIMELINE BY RECOMMENDATION priorities and timelines.
ACTIONS TIMELINE PRIORITY • Adoption by City Council of tourism as a priority sector Phase 1 HIGH • Appointment of City Council tourism champion Phase 1 SD 1.1 • Impact on tourism outcomes within City planning Phase 1
• Review of existing by-laws affecting tourism growth Phase 2
SD 1.2 • Integration of tourism consideration when developing new City Phase 2 MEDIUM by-laws and/or policies & Ongoing
SD 1.3 • Establish a new or redeployed Tourism FTE Phase 1 HIGH
• Change MAT policy and by-law to integrate 50% & 50% distribution of MAT Phase 1 SD 1.4 HIGH • Form Barrie Tourism Development Fund Committee Phase 1
• Initiate review process of Tourism Barrie’s mandate, governance and Phase 1 HIGH SD 1.5 organizational structure
• Develop sport tourism strategy and implementation of recommended SD 2.1 Phase 2 MEDIUM actions from STAT Pro Report
• Change MAT policy and by-law for a portion of MAT distribution to be Phase 1 HIGH SD 2.2 used for sports attraction • Form Barrie Tourism Development Fund governance committee Phase 1 HIGH
SD 2.3 • Creation and implementation of a sport related USP for Barrie Phase 2 HIGH
SD 2.4 • Creation of a Barrie sports committee Phase 2 MEDIUM • Creation of a communications plan Phase 2
• City of Barrie Economic & Creative Development to pursue SD 2.5 Ongoing HIGH hotel/conference facility developer for downtown
• Hiring of a MC&IT sales person at Tourism Barrie for the GTA business SD 2.6 Phase 4 MEDIUM events market based on the development of a conference facility
SD 2.7 • Development of a business events supplier network in Barrie Phase 4 LOW • Development of a sales lead network with supplier network Phase 4
82 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS ACTIONS AND TIMELINE
ACTIONS TIMELINE PRIORITY
SD 3.1 • Fully leverage Sadlon Arena as a catalyst for sport event attraction Phase 2 HIGH
• Gap analysis of existing facilities and target sports to measure need for SD 3.2 Phase 2 MEDIUM upgrades based on actions in STAT Pro report
SD 3.3 • Refer to actions in STAT report Phase 2 HIGH
• Yearly evaluation and update of Infrastructure Investment Opportunities Ongoing Chart • Tourism Barrie to develop a specific year-round outdoor strategy integrated Phase 1 MEDIUM SD 3.4 into its S&M plan • Capital expenditure audit of upgrades and/or new elements needed based Phase 1 MEDIUM on targeted clientele
• Work with the BIA and private stakeholders to ensure proper programing SD 3.5 of live entertainment within the City both indoors and outdoors year Ongoing MEDIUM round
• Refer to Fisher Centre studies Ongoing MEDIUM
SD 3.6 • Work with developer to identify potential to develop a new downtown Ongoing HIGH hotel
• Tourism Barrie to develop a specific year-round outdoor strategy Phase 1 MEDIUM integrated into its S&M plan SD 4.1 • Addition of two new major visitor events within the Barrie trail system Phase 3 MEDIUM and/or waterfront, working with partners already in the event space
• The Barrie Tourism Development Fund committee (BTDF) to initiate a SD 4.2 policy and application procedure for seed funding of new shoulder and Phase 2 MEDIUM off season events and or experiences aimed at attracting visitation
• Initiate a Barrie culinary committee of local restaurant owners, farm SD 4.3 owners, Tourism Barrie and City officials to develop a culinary profile for Phase 4 LOW the region and strategy aimed at attracting visitation
Phase 1 & • Incorporate tourism growth opportunities into economic HIGH Ongoing SD 5.1 development plan Phase 1 & MEDIUM • City tourism champion named to the economic development committee Ongoing • Initiation of wayfinding strategy Phase 1 SD 5.2 • Wayfinding brand image and signage localization Phase 1 HIGH • Wayfinding infrastructure deployment Phase 1
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 83 STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS
RECOMMENDATIONS ACTIONS AND TIMELINE ACTIONS TIMELINE PRIORITY
• Create Barrie’s visitor experience path Phase 1 MEDIUM • Integrate visitor experience path within Tourism Barrie’s yearly S&M plan Phase 1 SD 6.1 • Tourism Barrie to enlist tourism stakeholders and partners to integrate & Ongoing into visitor experience design within the overall Barrie story and Phase 1 MEDIUM delivery of the City’s tourism experience & Ongoing
• Create board subcommittee of stakeholders (sports, leisure, business Phase 1 MEDIUM events) to elaborate experience development and alignment SD 7.1 • Integrate a cross section of tourism, business, City and community Phase 1 MEDIUM representatives on the Tourism Barrie board
• Identify potential list of non-traditional partners (banks, beverage Phase 3 LOW companies, telco, etc) to be solicited SD 7.2 • Integrate non-traditional partners into Barrie’s tourism environment Phase 3 LOW through a communications plan and direct solicitation & Ongoing
Phase 1 • Stakeholder engagement on USP
SD 8.1 • USP defined with boundaries of the larger City branding project Phase 1 HIGH Phase 1 • Implementation of USP in all tourism related communications & Ongoing
SD 9.1 • Three-Year Strategic Plan initiated and delivered, approved by BOD Phase 1 HIGH
Phase 1 SD 9.2 • Annual sales & marketing plan MEDIUM & Ongoing
• Align Tourism Barrie strategic plan with Barrie TMP Phase 1 HIGH
SD 9.3 • Tourism Barrie to informally liaison with City tourism representative Phase 1 HIGH on an ongoing basis and in a formal manner quarterly & Ongoing
• Initiate quarterly reporting to City Council on tourism results and Phase 1 MEDIUM TMP progression & Ongoing
SD 10.1 • City communications department to integrate tourism reporting into Phase 1 MEDIUM the City web site and correspondence to residences & Ongoing
Phase 1 SD 10.2 • Initiate a yearly online survey for residences on tourism LOW & Ongoing
SD 10.3 • Open Tourism Barrie’s AGM to the public Phase 2 MEDIUM
84 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX A STAKEHOLDER GROUP SESSIONS
STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWS ORGANIZATION INTERVIEWEE
ORGANIZATION INTERVIEWEE City Councillor Mike McCann
Stephannie Schlichter Tourism Barrie Pam Bothwright Zvi Lifshiz Creative Cafe John Webb Karen Dubeau Flying Monkeys Andrea Chiodo Barb Roth Deputy Mayor Ward Travelodge Mary Lewis Councillor McCann Kempenfest Louise Jackson Andrea Miller City of Barrie Cheryl Oram Kathy Suggitt Holiday Inn Ken Johnston Kevin Bradley Cheri Harris Cora’s Breakfast Felix Yang Rob Bell Theatre by Bay Iain Moggach Tessa Williams Barrie Concert Band Betty Lillow Lindsay Robbins Lauren Andrew Mt. St.Louis Sarah Huter Simcoe County Tourism Kathryn Stevenson Splash on Water Parks Brittany Gallagher RTO 7 Bill Sullivan Happy Paddling Mike Valin Kathleen Trainor City of Barrie Amanda Dyke Tourism Barrie Matthew McFarlane City Councillor DM Barry Ward Tina Yiu Georgian College Bryan Hunt Downtown BIA Craig Stevens Brian Hunt Talk is Free Theatre Arkady Spivak Georgian College Michael Agema Tourism Barrie Jordan McCauley Brad Graham Farmers Market Patricia Lancia Georgian Mall Jodi Chamberlain RTO 7 Bill Sullivan Park Place Mall Elvia Rodriguez Barrie Film Festival Claudine Benoit OTMPC Christine Dodd Hey Bear Prod. Kempenfest Louise Jackson Ryan Anderson Troubadour Holiday Inn & Ken Johnstone Troubadour Festival Chas Hay Conference Centre Jacks Urban Jungle Colleen Rideout Holiday Inn Express Ken Montgomerie (Barrie Hotel Association) Tourism Barrie Matt McFarlane Republic Live (B&H Fest) Todd Jenneraux City of Barrie Lindsay Robbins Simcoe County Dancers Krissy King City of Barrie Lauren Andrew Bluesfest Robin Moore City of Barrie Arin Donnelly Troubadour Ryan Anderson Barrie Baycats Josh Matlow Barrie Sport Hall of Fame Tim Sample Holiday Inn Express Ken Montgomerie Hotel and Suites Sadlon Arena / Jim Payetta Barrie Colts Howie Campbell Hampton Inn Alyona Nasibyans Liberty North CC Stella Gan Barrie Minor Hockey Brian Torre Travelodge Mary Lewis Trojan Swim Club Kelly McCrae Best Western Plus Anil Patel Womens Hockey Rob Emerson Super 8 Hotels Mick Ahluwalia Minor Lacrosse Tom Hanrahan
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 85 ANNEX B - ASSET ASSESSMENT PER VENUE / ATTRACTION Draw Duration Off Season Family Memory Up & Coming Sports Lovers Mature Outgoing Couple ASSET ASSET Draw Duration Off Season Family Memory Up & Coming Sports Lovers Mature Outgoing Couple Active Outdoor Venues: Live Music Allandale Station Park Burls Creek
Centennial Park Mavricks
Outdoor Skating Rinks Sadlon Arena
Sunnidale Park The Ranch
Barrie Yacht Club North Country BBQ
Kempenfelt Bay Kenzington Burger Bar Waterfront Heritage Trail Donaleigh’s Irish Public House / Temple Bar Snow Valley Ski Resort Foxx Lounge Friday Harbour Queens Pub / Nightclub Horseshoe Resort Indoor Activity Hardwood Ski & Bike Game On: e Sports Oro Medonte Ride Trail The Rec Room Cineplex Festivals Alt Rock Barrie Film Festival Barrie Sports Dome Troubador Festival Retail Winterfest Park Place Ice Fishing Festival Georgian Mall Big Sky Dunlop Street (Core) February Blues Fest Bayfield Street Kempenfest Conference Facilities Boots and Hearts Liberty North Events Holiday Inn Hotel & Georgian Student Conference Centre Auto Show Barrie Automotive Tangle Creek Golf Club Flea Market Snow Valley Ski Resort Canada Day / Promenade Georgian Downs Theatre Georgian College Meridian Place
Five Points Theatre Kempenfelt Community Theatre Georgian Theatre
Talk is Free Theatre
Theatre by the Bay
86 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX B - ASSET ASSESSMENT PER VENUE / ATTRACTION
Description Venue #1 Venue #2 Venue #3 Venue #4 Venue #5
1/ General Info ALLANDALE SADLON HOLLY COMMUNITY EAST BARRIE COMMUNITY Name RECREATION ARENA CENTRE BAYFIELD SPORT COMPLEX CENTRE Type1 Ice Ice/Aquatic/Court Ice/Aquatic Ice/Aquatic/Court Field/Diamond
Level2 National Recreation/Provincial Recreation Recreation/Provincial Recreation/Provincial
Owner City of Barrie City of Barrie City of Barrie City of Barrie City of Barrie
Operator Barrie Colts City of Barrie City of Barrie City of Barrie City of Barrie
Website barrie.ca barrie.ca barrie.ca barrie.ca barrie.ca
Year of Construction/ 1995 2007 1983 2003 2000 Renovation 2/ Technical Info
Number of FoP 1 4 3 4 18
Sport Marking Ice Ice/Aquatic (25m)/Court Ice/Aquatic (25m) Ice/Aquatic (25m)/Court Baseball/SB/R/Soc/FB
Sport Flooring Ice deck Hardwood N/A Hardwood
Other Sport Usage VB/BB/LAX
Number of Floors N/A 1 (2-split) N/A 1 N/A
Number of Entrances 1 1 1 1
Seating Area (nb) 4,195 350/350 400/400
Field of Play Lights Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes | No
PA System Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Scoreboard Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Storage Room Yes No Yes Yes No
Ancillary Room Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Dedicated Staff to the Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes venue
Front of House Area Yes No No No No
Back of House Area Yes Yes Yes Yes No
3/ Services to client group
Team / Athletes* Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Technical Officials* Yes No No No No
Spectators* Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Media* Yes No No No No
VIP* Yes Yes Yes Yes No
Event Operation* Yes Yes Yes Yes No
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 87 This modified list of sports is based on those recognized by Sport Canada and is provided for discussion purposes. The full list includes sports for which ANNEX B - ASSET ASSESSMENT Barrie does not currently have a venue capable of hosting provincial-level sport events or above. In order to ensure that provincial, national or PER VENUE / ATTRACTION international competition can be held, a full venue assessment is required. TYPE LEVEL SPORT USAGE Venue #1 Venue #2 Venue #3 Venue #4 Venue #5 VENUE HOSTING Badminton Basketball Boxing Baseball Curling Sport and Figure Skating Basketball SADLON ARENA Entertainment Ice Hockey Boxing Lacrosse Tennis Curling Volleyball Diving Badminton (1m / 3m) Basketball Figure Skating Diving (1m/3m)
Football Figure Skating HOLLY Ice/Aquatic/ Ice Hockey COMMUNITY Court Ice Hockey CENTRE Lacrosse Ringette Lacrosse (indoor) Swimming Lacrosse (outdoor) Syncro Volleyball Ringette Figure Skating
Rugby Ice Hockey Lacrosse ALLANDALE Ice/Aquatic Soccer (outdoor) RECREATION Ringette CENTRE Speed Skating Softball Swimming Speed Skating Synchro (indoor) Badminton Swimming Basketball Synchronised Figure Skating Swimming Ice Hockey Ice/Aquatic/ EAST Tennis (indoor) Court Lacrosse BAYFIELD Ringette Volleyball (indoor) Swimming Syncro INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL Volleyball
PROVINCIAL RECREATIONAL Baseball Football As sport and recreation facilities differ from other tourism infrastructure BARRIE Field/Diamond Lacrosse (outdoor) assets in that they serve community first, the assessment criteria have been COMMUNITY SPORT COMPLEX Rugby modified from other asset categories. For the purpose of providing an assessment of sport facilities, the following criteria will show the current Soccer hosting capacity for Barrie: Softball
88 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX C - GOVERNANCE MODEL - RECOMMENDED TOURISM BARRIE
As outlined in SD1: Recommendation 5, it is recommended that a governance and mandate review of Tourism Barrie be conducted. As part of this, a review of DMO best practices from across Canada was undertaken. As well, the relationship between the City and Tourism Barrie will also be redefined, reflecting MAT revenues being 100% tourism dedicated. The following are recommendations to be followed based on best practices:
MAT: Deployment and accountability of MAT funds should be reported quarterly to the City by Tourism Barrie, with specific allocation outlined.
City: Tourism Barrie should expect to have a close working relationship with the City. Nevertheless, it must stay independent and non-partisan at all times. Tourism Barrie objectives should be aligned with the overall City Tourism Master Plan and direction. As well, it needs to take into consideration ongoing City and private development opportunities as it relates to the tourism sector that may impact tourism positively or otherwise. Tourism Barrie should present to the City a yearly board approved S&M plan, which should also be available to the residents of Barrie.
Board of Directors: Approximately 12 board members with a mix of City, industry stakeholders (hotel, attractions, festivals, restaurants, retail), economic partners (Chamber, BIA) and experience-based business members.
Sub-Committees: In order to properly advise the board, two working sub-committees of the board should be established (Sports and Events, Business Events segments) These sub-committees will help formulate sales & marketing strategies for both these segments and recommend to the organization the best course of action in order to maximize business volumes. Both these sub-committees should include board and non-board stakeholders from the industry.
Membership: Members of the organization should be routinely informed of Tourism Barrie’s initiatives and opportunities to engage. This can be accomplished through regular communications, membership activities and marketing initiatives.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 89 ANNEX C - GOVERNANCE MODEL - RECOMMENDED TOURISM BARRIE
Competitive Set DMO Boards
The following chart outlines the Board of Directors composition of nine DMOs and RTOs in Ontario. The average number of board members is 13.2 and all have a variety of members from across different industry sectors. No one sector holds a majority of board seats.
ONTARIO DMO GOVERNANCE COMPARABLES
CITY CITY NOTES BOARD AT LARGE # OF SETS AIRPORT/ % OF TOTAL % OF TOTAL % OF TOTAL % OF TOTAL % OF TOTAL ATTRACTIONS COMPOSITION TRANSPORTATION ACCOMMODATIONS
Cov Centre is at large Toronto 18 6 33% 6 33% 0% 0% 6 33% permanebt seat.
Includes a member from Ottawa 17 5 29% 6 35% 1 6% 1 6% 3 18% Prescott-Russell Tourism.
Central At large includes several Countries 17 1 6% 5 29% 4 24% 0% 7 41% regional tourism bodies. Tourism RTO 6
Members represent and RTO 4 13 1 8% 6 46% 1 8% 0% 5 38% named by sub regions.
Explorer Edge 8 4 50% 2 25% 0% 0% 2 25% RTO 12
Southwest Members represent and 10 1 10% 4 40% 0% 1 10% 4 40% Ontario RTO 1 named by sub regions.
Members are split by RTO 7 11 2 18% 3 27% 1 9% 0% 5 45% county. Simcoe has the most.
Kitchener City members from both 14 2 14% 3 21% 7 50% 1 7% 1 7% Waterloo cities and region.
4 Retail/Resto & 1 Barrie 11 2 18% 3 27% 1 9% 0% 5 45% labour business person
Average 13.2 2.7 20% 4.2 32% 1.7 13% 0.3 3% 4.2 32%
90 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX C - COMPETITIVE SET MAT $ DISTRIBUTION
TOTAL MAT City REVENUE MAT DISTRIBUTION
Kingston $1,500,000 Still under a DMF and collected through hotel association and transferred to DMO
50% of the funds stay with the City (economic development) for tourism related Waterloo $3,200,000 initiatives. Municipal CAO sits on the DMO board of directors enabling alignment of how the funds are utilized
Brockville $500,000 100% of funds are transferred to DMO
50% retained by the City of London for capital projects and 50% directed to Tourism London $3,600,000 London for sports, conventions and leisure travel (culture & entertainment)
50% of net MAT remains with the City of Windsor to provide funding for future project/initiatives which aim to support tourism and 50% shared with Tourism Windsor $2,800,000 Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) to support promotion and development of Windsor Tourism
50% to provide the City of Hamilton opportunity to remove tourism operating Hamilton $2,000,000 expenses from existing levy and the remaining 50% to offset annual average draw of multiple reserves for tourism activities and the existing DMF
4% MAT is collected and 25% of revenues are allocated for a tourism development Ottawa $13,000,000 fund to help attract events and/or provide seed-funding for new events or products. 75% to the DMO for destination marketing
3% Tourism Accommodation Levy directed to tourism development and to the Charlottetown $1,000,000 Special Event Reserve Fund which provides grants to event organizers for attraction and hosting
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 91 ANNEX D - TOURISM WAYFINDING
Wayfinding: Barrie Tourism Signage Policy
Barrie has implemented a Tourism Signage Policy which is a program defining the eligibility, use, design and authority for tourism-oriented directional signage within the city’s road right-of-way. The purpose of this policy is to support the TODS provincial signage with the installment of corresponding ‘trailblazing’ directional signage within the city, and to elevate Barrie’s tourism image by:
• Providing roadway directions to the varied tourism assets;
• Offering motorists, a consistent method of communicating tourism information.
An additional element of the Tourism Signage Policy is the eligibility criteria which defines the following:
• Only tourism businesses or facilities designated by the City of Barrie;
• Seasonal tourist businesses that are open during a specific season displaying set hours of operation;
• Tourism signage does not detract from normal traffic control devices.
This Tourism Signage Policy will be updated as part the overall review the City’s wayfinding policy.
Tourism wayfinding is intended to highlight destination attractions and other assets, and is also utilized within urban areas to provide visitors with an introduction to unique community character districts, such as an entertainment, retail, or outdoor sport area. Additionally, wayfinding signage directs visitors to theme districts such as ‘live music’, ‘theatre’, ‘mobile F&B’ (food trucks) and ‘gallery’ designated areas of interest.
One of the key roles of a municipal wayfinding process that facilitates the access of motorists to access tourism businesses and outdoor assets lies in the arterial road signage highlighting available parking spots, particularly in the downtown core. The City of Barrie has recently updated a 2011 parking study in order to identify future parking requirements within the downtown core and waterfront districts.
Over the past decade the City core has experienced an intensification of parking demand, particularly as it relates to growing tourism demand in summer and fall in the downtown core near the waterfront.
There currently exists no solution for providing parking access for summer weekends or any day of the week during the numerous festivals/active entertainment venues.
Three objectives of the updated parking strategy include:
• Improve static wayfinding parking system;
• Elevate the use of shuttle buses on summer weekends beyond the current Kempenfest Civic holiday weekend;
• Install mutli-space “smart meters” which allow digital credit payments.
92 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX D - TOURISM WAYFINDING
Tourism Wayfinding: Visitor Information
• Tourism businesses, particularly smaller entities, favour replacing costly printed material with a more affordable digital presence. An increasingly common occurrence found in destinations throughout Ontario is the gradual replacement of bricks & mortar Visitor Centres, replete with numerous hard-copy brochures, with the expanding use of digital free-standing information kiosks. More importantly, the digital approach is flexible for active tourism businesses, allowing real time updates and pricing variances as opposed to seasonal printed material.
• Digital visitor services allow flexibility for tourism businesses, food & beverage establishments and cultural institutions to customize their visitor information and marketing promotions by season and day of week. The following are a few examples of visitor kiosks presently deployed:
Beacon Directional Zone Locator: District Locator: Point Map: Overview Map: Focus Area Interpretive Legend(s)
London New York City Toronto Vancouver
RECOMMENDATIONS Enhancing the City of Barrie’s wayfinding process is more a function of policy consistency than a requirement for further investment. • Maintain a policy of offering signage placement over a two-year maximum period, whereby the applicant applies based on historical external visitor information data;
• Consider the installation of a few digital free-standing wayfinding kiosks located in both large retail malls, as well as within the downtown core and waterfront vicinity;
• Determine whether a cost-recovery mechanism may be utilized to sublet tourism business advertising on the wayfinding kiosks. During the summer period and specific events in other seasons, the access to parking for visitors is a significant issue for touring visitors and also has an impact on visitor spending levels. Three objectives of the parking strategy include: • Improve static wayfinding parking system to direct drivers to open spaces;
• Install multi-space “smart meters” which allow digital credit payments;
• Elevate the use of shuttle buses on summer weekends beyond the current Kempenfest August weekend.
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 93 94 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN ANNEX E - ACRONYMS
ADR AVERAGE DAILY RATE (HOTELS) AGM ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AV AUDIO VISUAL B2B BUSINESS TO BUSINESS B2C BUSINESS TO CONSUMER BIA BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT AREA DC DESTINATION CANADA DMO DESTINATION MARKETING ORGANIZATION F13 FLOOR13 F&B FOOD AND BEVERAGE GTA GREATER TORONTO AREA IT INDIVIDUAL TRAVELLER MAT MUNICIPAL ACCOMMODATIONS TAX MC&IT MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS & INCENTIVE TRAVEL MOU MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING OCC OCCUPANCY (HOTELS) OHL ONTARIO HOCKEY LEAGUE ROI RETURN ON INVESTMENT RTO REGIONAL TOURISM ORGANIZATION SD STRATEGIC DIRECTION SME SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES STAT SPORTS TOURISM ASSESSMENT TEMPLATE TMP TOURISM MASTER PLAN TT TRAVEL TRADE US UNITED STATES USP UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION VFR VISITING FRIENDS AND RELATIVES
DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE 95 DEVELOPING TOURISM FOR BARRIE’S ECONOMIC FUTURE
www.barrie.ca
Tourism Master Plan CITY OF BARRIE © Copyright (2020) All Rights Reserved Economic & Creative Development, Invest Barrie Produced by FLOOR13. 70 Collier Street, Designed by Integra Design Studio Inc. Barrie, Ontario L4M 4T5
96 CITY OF BARRIE - TOURISM MASTER PLAN