PARTNER RESOURCES
Welcome to Tourism Simcoe County Industry page, a resource for County updates, training and workshop sessions available to the industry, login location for adding or updating your free YLM listing on
experience.simcoe.ca and a place to learn more about tourism in our region.
To get the latest updates on partnership and funding opportunities, and industry updates, sign up for our tourism industry e-newsletter HERE
For resources specific to the covid-19 pandemic,
click here
Interested in information about Tourist-Oriented Directional Signing (TODS)
click here
Tourism Simcoe County Destination Development Action Plan
The County is partnering with its member municipalities, residents, tourism operators, and stakeholders to create a Destination Development action plan focused on promoting Simcoe County as a first-class travel destination. This plan will steer the County of Simcoe’s tourism role and responsibilities for the next three to five years. 
Release - Tourism Destination Development Action Plan underway in Simcoe County.pdf.
Tourism, Culture and Sport Enhancement Fund
CLOSED TO APPLICATIONS on February 28, 2022
Status of 2022 Applications
Recommendations for funding were approved by County Council on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. View the list of funding recipients below, under Resources.
A complete project and financial report for the funded initiative and copies of all associated receipts must be submitted within 30 days of completion of the initiative, and no later than April 15, 2022. It is the funding recipient's responsibility to submit their Post Report on time.
In the absence of a post report, it is assumed that the awarded funds have gone unspent and the organization will be ineligible for future funding until the reporting requirements have been fulfilled, confirming that the funds were spent on eligible project costs.
NOTE: In order to be eligible for future funding, the post report must be received before a new application for funds is submitted.
Experience Simcoe County Logo Suite.zip
Cycle Simcoe Logo Suite.zip
Staff Contact
Brianne Harris
Experience Development Coordinator
brianne.harris@simcoe.ca
(705) 818-2113
Tourism Simcoe County Distribution Program
This program is on hold until further notice, due to Covid-19
Tourism Simcoe County offers a variety of co-operative marketing opportunities and programs to promote area tourism businesses, like our distribution programs.
The Border Run
Publications are delivered to more than sixty tourism information centres along the Hwy 401 corridor from Sarnia to Ottawa and into Quebec.
Occurs twice a year, in the fall and spring.
Local Distribution
Publications are delivered to locations in Simcoe County including hotels, attractions, restaurants, and ski resorts.
Occurs weekly from May to September and bi-weekly the remainder of the year.
Staff Contact
Gayle McKay
Research and Administration Coordinator
gayle.mckay@simcoe.ca
(705) 790-2039
Service Excellence Training
RTO7 and the Counties of Bruce, Grey & Simcoe have partnered to bring an online customer service training program to the region. Working in collaboration with OTEC (Ontario Tourism Education Corporation), the BGS Tourism Service Excellence Training is a one hour training that will provide the fundamentals of customer service for frontline tourism staff and other first impression individuals e.g. gas station attendants. We want to collectively ensure that we’re all putting our best foot forward when it comes to welcoming visitors to BruceGreySimcoe!
Eligibility
To be eligible to take the training individuals must:
- Work in one of Bruce, Grey or Simcoe Counties
- Own or work for a “tourism business or organization” as defined below:
- Tourism industry (i.e. the businesses or industries that sell products and services directly to tourists, e.g. accommodations, restaurants, recreation and attractions, travel agents, transportation and retail enterprises etc.)
- Owner/Operator (private and non-private tourism businesses, attractions)
- ‘First impressions’ individuals/organizations e.g. gas station attendant, convenience store clerk, or an organization that regularly services the visitors to our region
- Tourism Organization
- Destination Marketing Organization (DMO)
- Business Improvement Association (BIA) or Chamber of Commerce
- Municipal Tourism Office
- Students in a tourism/hospitality program (secondary, post-secondary, career college, etc.) – please call 705-888-8728 or click on the Register button below to access the training
Use promo code: S125
If you are a large employer wishing to access training for more than 10 participants, please contact us to access the 'larger employer' promo code.
Agritourism Toolkit
If you are considering the addition of an agritourism component to your farm, the expansion of your existing operations, or just want to explore what it takes to get into the agritourism industry, then the Simcoe County Agritourism Toolkit is for you!
The Simcoe County Agritourism Toolkit contains all the information you will need to help you decide whether agritourism is right for you. It outlines the steps you will need to take to add an agritourism component to your existing farm business or to help grow your existing agritourism business. The Toolkit is divided into four components based on a standard business development planning approach.
For a print version of the full or condensed toolkit, submit a request to ruth.walkerscott@simcoe.ca
To download a PDF version, click one of the links below.
Simcoe County Agritourism Toolkit.pdf
Simcoe County Agritourism Toolkit (Condensed Version).pdf
Click the folder icon for even more agritourism development resources.
