Tourism sector in Barrie, Orillia, Simcoe and Grey counties to receive $1.2M

The tourism sector in Barrie, Orillia, Simcoe and Grey counties will receive $1.2 million in funding that’s expected to support 100 businesses and maintain 225 jobs.

The money will be provided by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) to support the tourism industry’s recovery amid the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the $1.2 million, Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7) is providing tourism-dependent businesses with up to $20,000 in non-repayable contributions to supports costs associated with adapting and eventually reopening, like renovations and retrofits, and the purchase of equipment, fixtures and personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as support for digitization.

One business that has been helped by RTO7 is Travel By Sound, which is a six-episode series of virtual concerts filmed at concert halls around Grey and Simcoe counties.

“The tourism industry is no stranger to the struggles brought on by COVID-19,” Marie-France Lalonde, the parliamentary secretary to the economic development and official languages minister, said in a statement Tuesday.

“With today’s funding announcement, FedDev Ontario is delivering targeted support to about 100 businesses to prepare for a more resilient future. This investment is ensuring that the tourism sector here in Grey and Simcoe counties, Barrie and Orillia remains strong and vibrant in the months and years to come.”

Barrie–Innisfil member of Parliament John Brassard said tourism is essential for the community’s vitality and support is needed for local businesses and their employees.

“We need to support these local businesses and the people they employ not only to recover but to thrive as they reopen their doors to visitors in a post-pandemic world,” Brassard said in a statement Tuesday.

“The tourism sector continues to demonstrate its resilience by adapting to challenges and this funding will help to maintain jobs and prepare Barrie–Innisfil businesses for a strong comeback.”