The Great Taste of Ontario: a dynamic tourism program to support recovery in Ontario’s food and drink sector.
In 2020, the Culinary Tourism Alliance's Covid Recovery program began with a series of training modules for all investing destinations (90+ across the province) and businesses (1500+) to adhere to World Travel & Tourism Council SafeTravel protocols; meet visitor expectations in the re-opened tourism space; increase collaboration between the agriculture and hospitality sector, create strategies to highlight BIPOC and LGBTQ+ tourism operators, and finally, celebrate experiences that appeal to the food-connected consumer.
The training was followed by a strategic, collaborative marketing campaign entitled ‘The Great Taste of Ontario’. The Great Taste of Ontario (GTOO) campaign is centered around a collection of hyper-local passports that inspire Ontario residents to first (re)discover and then travel around the province. To ensure the program’s success, a set of criteria for business inclusion have been established to help guide partners when selecting businesses to be featured in a GTOO passport.
Over the last two years, we’ve worked with over 80 partners including Destination Marketing Organizations, Regional Tourism Organizations, Sector Organizations, and media to boost boost regional economies by increasing tourism visits with a focus on shoulder season and midweek travel. As we look ahead to 2023, it is clear that our industry is still in the stages of recovery, and driving traffic to businesses that need it most is still incredibly important.
HOW IT WORKS
READ HYPERLOCAL STORIES, BE INSPIRED - START PLANNING!
DOWNLOAD
HYPERLOCAL DIGITAL PASSPORTS
SAVE THE PASSPORT
TO YOUR DEVICE’S
‘HOME SCREEN’
CHECK-IN AT LOCAL BUSINESSES AS YOU TRAVEL THE PROVINCE
GET REWARDED! FOR EVERY 5 CHECK-INS YOU RECEIVE A $25 FEAST ON VOUCHER
START AGAIN
AND EXPLORE SOMEWHERE ELSE DELICIOUS!
THE PASSPORTS
We’ve partnered with Bandwango to create regional passports and capture roadtripper data in market. There is also a gamification component to the program - for every 5 check-ins, roadtrippers will receive a $25 Feast On® Voucher, redeemable at participating Feast On® restaurants and experiences across Ontario.
The Itineraries
We’re working with partners in the program to publish hundreds of unique, food focused itineraries to help inspire local travel and help visitors plan their trips in a meaningful way. To provide assurances to travelers, ALL businesses included in the itineraries must have the World Travel & Tourism Council #SafeTravels Stamp, administered by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.
To help foster a sustainable, healthy and inclusive tourism ecosystem in Ontario, a set of business inclusion criteria was created.
Priorities will be given to businesses that:
Practice organic farming, regenerative farming or sustainable fishing and aquaculture (ex. certified VQA sustainable winery)
Are an Ontario member of the Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce
Are an Ontario member of the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce
Are recognized as part of Indigenous Tourism Ontario’s Cultural Authenticity Program (CAP)
Are recognized as part of Société économique de l’Ontario (SÉO) Route Champlain and Corridor Canada
For a full overview of the Great Taste of Ontario Business Inclusion Criteria,
download the Business Inclusion Criteria Overview.
NUMBER OF REGIONAL
PASSPORTS BUILT
126
NUMBER OF SMALL
BUSINESSES FEATURED
1,505
OVERALL
PROGRAM REACH
26,900,000
Data last updated on November 15, 2022
“Now more than ever, we need to support our local restaurants, farmers and those along the culinary tourism value chain. The Great Taste of Ontario will inspire travel and feed your curiosity. It will provide Ontarians with information and incentive to explore our taste of place safely, while supporting businesses who support their communities.”
— Rebecca Mackenzie, President + CEO, Culinary Tourism Alliance
Special Reports on Food Tourism
in partnership with the Globe & Mail
At the Culinary Tourism Alliance, we know much of how we used to experience the world has changed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Amidst all the chaos though, there is a silver lining. We believe there is an opportunity during reopening to strengthen Ontario’s visitor economy - to deepen the connections between urban and rural communities while enhancing the tourism and agriculture supply chains. Culinary tourism connects us all.
That’s why we’ve partnered with The Globe and Mail on The Great Taste of Ontario. We want their readers to fall in love with Ontario - all over again. Together, we’re going to encourage hyper-local exploration and help people navigate this new normal. We’re going to showcase and celebrate the very best of our rural and urban communities and connect Ontario with the people and places that make its food and drink unique.
Sample Stories
DIGGING INTO ONTARIO’S FOOD HERITAGE
LESSONS IN RESILIENCE FROM ONTARIO FAMILY BUSINESSES
WHY ONTARIO’S CRAFT BEER INDUSTRY NEEDS MORE DIVERSITY
