Tourism Readiness | Durham Tourism

About Durham Tourism

Durham Tourism is part of The Regional Municipality of Durham Economic Development and Tourism Division. As the Destination Management Organization (DMO) for Durham Region, Durham Tourism represents eight local area municipalities to promote, support, and grow the region’s tourism industry.

What does Durham Tourism do?

Durham Tourism builds, supports, and strengthens:

Durham Region’s quality of place
Inclusive tourism
Spending to local businesses
The creation of memorable experiences

This is done by meeting the objectives of the Tourism Strategic Action Plan which is a plan produced by Durham Tourism after consultation with tourism partners and approved by Durham Regional Council.

This work includes:

Maintaining DurhamTourism.ca
Creating and managing content for social media
Sending out monthly e-newsletters
Production and distribution of tourism guides
Participating in events
Building and executing marketing campaigns
Providing education on tourism initiatives

Durham Tourism’s staff have in-depth knowledge of the local area and are always happy to provide introductions to people or resources that could be helpful.

How can Durham Tourism help you and your business?

There are several tools that Durham Tourism uses to promote businesses, organizations, and events.

Social Media

Follow @DurhamTourism on Instagram and like Durham Tourism - - Durham Region, Ontario, Canada on Facebook.
Tag Durham Tourism in posts and stories.
Durham Tourism engages with content by liking, commenting, and sharing.
Engagement of all kinds goes towards forming algorithms which show more users your content.

E-newsletters

Visitor e-newsletter (B2C) is sent on the first of every month to a subscriber base of 9000+
Industry e-newsletter (B2B) is sent on the fifteenth of every month to a subscriber base of 4300+
E-newsletters include news, upcoming events, local business highlights, blog posts, and helpful information

Attracting Talent

Careers round up is sent every Friday via LinkedIn to a subscriber base of 4200+

Events Calendar

Businesses and organizations are encouraged to submit events to Durham Tourism’s online Events Calendar
Once approved, events live on Durham Tourism’s website
Events from the calendar are added to the monthly visitor e-newsletter

Tourism Readiness Self-Assessment

Tourism readiness is how prepared a destination, community or business is to successfully attract visitors and provide them with a positive experience. A business or destination can show they are ready to welcome tourists by effectively sharing information with the public and designing their operation with the visitor experience in mind. A tourist refers to anyone who travels 40 kilometers or more to a destination and this group has unique needs compared to local, every day customers. The benefits of considering tourism readiness when making business decisions include: improved operations, building strong customer relationships, and driving an increase in revenue.

Developed to remain competitive with destinations throughout Ontario, across Canada, and around the world, the Tourism Readiness Self-Assessment is a tool that will determine how prepared a tourism business is to welcome a variety of visitors. The self-assessment will provide insights into a business's tourism readiness and identify opportunities for growth that contribute to an excellent visitor experience.

Tourism Ready
Necessary steps have been taken to welcome visitors to your business.

Tourism Excellence
Additional steps have been taken above and beyond the “tourism ready” criteria.

Didn't check all the boxes?
That's ok! You've identified some room for growth in your tourism offering.

Download the Tourism Readiness Self-Assessment Checklist