By Denise Rideout
Some local businesses say the tourism industry is thriving in spite of concerns by representatives of Ottawa’s business and tourism groups that say the city isn’t seen as a world-class destination.
The problem for some people in the tourism industry is Ottawa’s image as a stuffy government town. So in early March, 30 representatives from the city’s business and tourism communities came together to talk about tourism, as well as some of Ottawa’s other economic growth sectors.
Glenn Duncan, who represented The Regional Group of Companies at the meeting, said the representatives agreed that in order to get more people to visit Ottawa it would have to design a plan to market the city to the rest of the world.
“We’re trying to ensure that Ottawa is seen as more than just the seat of the Canadian government,” says Duncan.
The Regional Group, a real estate and property development company in Centretown, is currently involved in the development of some tourists attractions in the city. Duncan says the company has been chosen by the NCC to develop an aquarium as part of the Daly site. The Regional Group has also made a proposal to work with the region on turning the old train station into Canada’s sports hall of fame.
Duncan says Ottawa needs to focus on marketing its museums and galleries.
“What Ottawa has is many things,” says Duncan. “But it hasn’t been able to put it all together to be a world-class destination.”
Tourism officials aren’t denying the success of the tourism industry. Numbers from the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority show that 5.8 million people are expected to visit Ottawa this year, up slightly from the 5.7 million tourists in 1999. In fact, the number of people visiting Ottawa has been increasing since 1998, despite figures from the Canadian Tourism Commission that show fewer people traveled within Canada last summer.
Louise Crandall, of the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority says tourists are interested in our cultural, adventure and outdoor attractions.
Some tourism businesses say Ottawa doesn’t seem to have any problems attracting visitors.
Jack Cook, owner of the souvenir shop Four Corners Canada on Sparks Street, says judging from the traffic he sees at his store, tourism in Centretown is doing great.
“I think there’s been an increase in the number of people visiting Ottawa,” Cook says. “Just in the first few months of this year I’ve seen lots of people at my store.”
Hotel owner Frank Baker says between 1998 and 1999 reservations at his Doral Inn on Albert Street were up by five to 10 per cent. This year, he says, already looks promising with the month of May almost booked solid.
Ottawa sees a lot of tourists, he says, because more people are thinking of the city as a vacation destination.
“We are the best bargain in the world.”
Centretown is a favourite spot, Baker says, because it has a lot to offer — restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions.
Art Dowd, general manager of Gray Line, a tour bus company on Catherine Street, says people who are travelling always want to go to the centre of the city to do their shopping and sightseeing.
He says his company saw an increase last year in the number of people taking tours.
Although neither Cook, Baker or Dowd were part of the meeting on tourism in Ottawa, Dowd says their own experiences within the industry have shown them that it’s working.
“The tourism industry is doing well,” Dowd says. “It’s very promising here in Ottawa.”