Northern Ontario featured at Rendezvous Canada and FAM Tours
by Sara Currier | August 20, 2026
By Ian McMillan and Mike Wozny
As part of the overall International Market Development initiative, Destination Northern Ontario (DNO) continued its ongoing partnership with Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) as a Gold Sponsor at Rendez-vous Canada (RVC), the annual international marketplace that attracts more than 500 buyers from 24 countries around the world.
For the fourth consecutive year, Destination Northern Ontario partnered with Destination Ontario in sponsoring the Ontario Networking Zone. This area offered coffee, snacks and refreshments for buyers throughout the day and provided a steady flow of traffic to the area.
Within the Networking Zone, DNO sponsored a large “Northern” display area that also hosted our Northern Ontario partners: Tourism Sault Ste. Marie, Tourism Thunder Bay and Northeastern Ontario Tourism. Collectively, the partners hosted more than 200 one-on-one appointments with international buyers.
Throughout the four-day marketplace, the Northern Ontario section provided the opportunity for DNO staff to strengthen their engagement with the Canadian Tourism Data Collective, meet with both the Provincial and Federal Ministers of Tourism, and distribute promotional materials highlighting new experiences, attractions and touring routes in Northern Ontario.
At the completion of the marketplace, DNO hosted two post-RVC 2026 FAM Tours that were developed and coordinated with Destination Ontario by Ian McMillan, DNO’s International Marketing Specialist. A FAM Tour provides an opportunity for sellers and marketers to host buyers and inbound operators and provide them with direct tourism experiences to encourage them to include and sell Northern Ontario products. This is one of the most effective ways to grow international tourism. The buyers and participants on the DNO FAM Tours were selected based on their experience, interest in Northern Ontario products, and other factors to ensure a successful experience.
The first FAM Tour featured the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma regions. DNO staff member Mike Wozny led a group of five international buyers on a four-day FAM Tour that included visits to the following:
- Toured the Parks Canada Sault Canal site and trails.
- Participated in an Indigenous tourism experience hosted by Thrive Tours at Ojibway Park.
- Hiked to the top of Chippewa Falls.
- Visited the Atlantic/Arctic Watershed apex, where streams to the north of the location flow toward the Arctic Ocean, while streams to the south flow toward the Great Lakes and into the Atlantic Ocean.
- Visited Naturally Superior Adventures, where participants paddled a Voyager Canoe on Lake Superior to Magpie Falls. Upon completion, DNO staff and two energetic European participants also took a cold-water plunge in Lake Superior.
- Extensively toured the Lake Superior shoreline, stopping at many beautiful bays and lookouts, including Old Woman Bay and Katherine Cove, as well as the Lake Superior Provincial Park Visitor Centre.
- Toured Sault Ste. Marie on a double-decker bus and toured the Sault Ste. Marie Canal and locks aboard the Miss Marie.
- Toured the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre and experienced a sightseeing flight in a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver on floats, touring the St. Marys River and surrounding area.
The second FAM Tour featured Northeastern Ontario. DNO staff member Ian McMillan led a group of eight international buyers, along with representatives from Destination Ontario’s German Office and Destination Canada’s Korean Office, on a five-day FAM Tour that included visits to the following:
- Crossed Georgian Bay and Lake Huron aboard the Chi-Cheemaun ferry to Manitoulin Island and stayed overnight at the Manitoulin Hotel and Conference Centre.
- Spent a day with Wikwemikong Tourism and experienced the Unceded Journey Tour, which included a drum and dance presentation, sampling traditional foods prepared over an open fire, and a visit to the Ojibwe Cultural Centre and Holy Cross Mission.
- Toured Dynamic Earth and Science North, along with a boat cruise on Lake Ramsey, and topped off the day with a tour and sampling session at the local craft brewery, 46 North, while in Sudbury.
- Killarney Mountain Lodge hosted the group for an afternoon of canoeing and kayaking, along with a sunset sail, dinner and overnight stay. The local host, McMillan, and three brave buyers also took a plunge into Lake Huron.
- Visited Point Grondine Provincial Park and toured the log eco-cabins and campground that Wikwemikong First Nation is developing on the site.
- Finally, the group stopped for lunch in Parry Sound before returning to Toronto for their flights overseas.
Both FAM Tours were a resounding success, with participants awed by the breadth, beauty and natural environment of Northern Ontario and the Great Lakes region. They were impressed with the attractions, high-quality accommodations and dining opportunities.
“And thanks again for the great FAM. Very educational and well organized. We will make sure to put this first-hand knowledge to good use!”
Peter van Veenendaal - The Netherlands
“It was a real pleasure being part of such a fantastic FAM. Your passion for Northern Ontario and your storytelling made the experience truly memorable. Even the highway closure turned into another great adventure! Many thanks to you, Destination Northern Ontario, and all the partners for your warm hospitality.”
Vanessa Flush – Quebec
“This FAM tour is such a special and precious memory for me. Huge thanks to you, Kaitlynn and Destination Northern Ontario for all your warm hosting during this trip.”
Jiejing Xu - China
“It was a great pleasure to be on your FAM with all of you. New sights, new ideas... Thanks for the photos.”
Klaus Werner – Germany
“Thanks again for the amazing experiences during the FAM trip. The photos look great, thank you for sending them.”
Lucas van Ampting – The Netherlands
“Thanks for the great FAM, we had the chance to discover such a beautiful part of Ontario”
Fanny Spanu – Quebec
“Thanks so much, it was a fantastic FAM”
Maik Schroter – Germany
“Thank you for this wonderful trip. What a great time we had due to the destination and the people”
Joeri Delbaere – Belgium
“It was one of the best FAM Tours. Thank you for all the great teamwork and sharing so much joy and laughs”
Stella Lee – Korea
“It was one of the best FAM Trips ever”
Manja Trietchen – Germany
“Thank you so much. It was the best FAM I have ever participated in. I’m still feeling the afterglow. It was truly a wonderful experience
Kazuhiko Ishihara - Japan