2025-26 Marketing and Communications Highlights
by Sara Currier | March 30, 2026
As we reflect on the past year and look toward the future, Destination Northern Ontario continues to build momentum through collaboration, innovation, and a shared commitment to strengthening the region’s tourism economy. This progress is grounded in stronger regional alignment, enhanced partnerships, and a continued focus on showcasing Northern Ontario as a distinctive, year-round destination.
2025-26 Highlights
• Strengthened partnerships across the region, fostering greater alignment between Destination Marketing Organizations, industry stakeholders, and provincial partners.
• The Northern Portal experienced approximately 2.1 million visits and 2.5 million page views this fiscal year, maintaining an average time on page of about 1 minute and 13 seconds.
• Continued evolution of digital platforms and marketing initiatives to better showcase Northern Ontario’s diverse tourism experiences.
• Progress toward more coordinated, region-wide storytelling to elevate Northern Ontario’s visibility as a compelling travel destination.
• The Northern Portal receives approximately one million AI bot visits per month, primarily from Google AI bots, as well as ChatGPT, Copilot, Perplexity, and Anthropic. Estimated scraping volume: In January, AI bots scraped the site approximately 387,000 times, representing a 76% month-over-month increase.
2026-27 Focus
• Lead a pan-regional branding initiative to define Northern Ontario’s target audience and strengthen market positioning.
• Leverage consumer and market research to inform strategy and strengthen The Northern Portal as the leading consumer platform, with a gradual shift toward video-driven trip inspiration to stay competitive and easily discoverable.
• Implement coordinated, region-wide marketing campaigns aligned with provincial priorities.
• Strengthen collaboration with partners through improved tools, data access, and shared resources.
• Increase visibility and engagement through targeted communications and digital growth initiatives.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about these initiatives? Reach out to Sara Currier, Manager of Marketing and Communications at s.currier@destinationnorthernontario.ca