2025-26 Product Development Highlights
by Sara Currier | March 30, 2026
Product Development remained a key priority in 2025-26, strengthening Northern Ontario’s tourism offerings through collaboration, industry engagement, and strategic investment. By working closely with partners and gathering on-the-ground insights, Destination Northern Ontario continued to enhance market readiness, support regional growth, and align efforts with long-term priorities outlined in the Destination Master Plan.
2025-26 Highlights
• Supported Indigenous Tourism Ontario to advance the Indigenous Tourism Corridor Strategy, focusing on market-ready Indigenous businesses, multi-day itineraries, and a long-term growth framework.
• Achieved strong regional marketing results, reaching 521,972 people in Superior Country and 683,922 people in Northeastern Ontario through custom content campaigns.
• Celebrated culinary momentum in Thunder Bay with seven new Feast On® restaurants, a successful Do Something Delicious campaign, and a sold-out Feast On® event.
• Leveraged PD Advisory and VIC meetings to gather valuable industry feedback, helping guide product development priorities and strengthen advocacy efforts across Northern Ontario.
2026-27 Focus
• Work with communities and industry to co-create accessible, all-season, market-ready itineraries, including a flagship region-wide Northern Ontario route that connects priority destinations and experiences for year-round travel.
• Continued culinary tourism development in partnership with the Culinary Tourism Alliance, by strengthening Northern Ontario’s “taste of place” through signature food experiences, collaboration with key partners, and integration of local cuisine into existing tourism products.
• Continue advancing sustainability by positioning Northern Ontario as a unified sustainable tourism destination grounded in the Destination Master Plan, and by leveraging our strong, values-aligned partnerships to embed responsible practices across the North.
Learn More
Interested in learning more about these initiatives?
Reach out to Megan Boyd, Manager of Product Development at m.boyd@destinationnorthernontario.ca