 Tourism
Durham Region offers a variety of advantages for visitors or residents who want to explore the area. Its geographic location is just one example. There are five million people and border crossings within a two-hour drive, and an international airport within a one-hour drive.
Furthermore, the landscape and physical setting, along with the history and heritage of the region, complement its core attractions and play a role in creating uniqueness only available in Durham Region.
With a wide range of culture experiences, retail shopping opportunities and recreational activities, Durham Region attracts over three million visitors each year. The market segments of visitors include: visiting friends and relatives (71 per cent), pleasure (19 per cent), business (7.3 per cent) and other (2.1 per cent). Day visitors (71 per cent) dominate Durham Region’s tourism industry. However, a variety of accommodations at various levels of quality and price are available for the overnight traveller.
The tourism industry has a positive impact on the local economy and quality of life. Visitor expenditures in 2004 contributed to $4.86 million in tax revenues. Tourism supports approximately 2,558 of Durham's full-time and part-time jobs.
Durham Tourism continues to work with a number of organizations, including municipalities, tourism operators, chambers of commerce, and business improvement areas, in developing and marketing travel-related experiences in the region.
In 2006, Durham Tourism completed an analysis of Durham’s tourism industry that provided the foundation for an improved tourism development strategy and brand identity aimed at increasing the economic benefit of tourism in the region. The strategy and brand are the outcome of the Premier-ranked Tourist Destinations project. The project was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism to measure the market status of a destination and complete a step-by-step inventory, analysis and resource evaluation of tourism industry assets.
An external firm was retained in 2006 to perform the evaluation, consult with tourism operators and stakeholders and prepare a five-year strategic plan. As a result of this consultation, the tourism industry established a series of immediate next steps to increase visitation to Durham and position the region as a tourist destination in Ontario. To champion these industry-driven initiatives, the Durham Tourism Leadership Team has been formed.
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