By Nathan Maki
Centretown businesses may see an extra $20 million to $30 million in business this winter season thanks to an expanded and widely promoted Winterlude, according to the Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority (OTCA).
The OTCA has been given $500,000 for their winter marketing campaign this year, of which Winterlude is the largest part. It hopes to use this money to draw 100,000 tourists to the capital, double last year’s numbers.
The OTCA estimates that this would translate directly and indirectly into millions of dollars in extra business, much of which will be focused in Centretown.
The Ontario Tourism Revitalization Office contributed $150,000 to the campaign, the Ottawa-Gatineau Hotel Association gave another $150,000, and OTCA’s other partners added $200,000.
“The money is being used in Montreal and Toronto to entice people to come to Ottawa during the winter. Those are the closest and largest markets,” says Jantine Van Kregten of the OTCA. “Winterlude is the biggest draw.”
In the major cities, newspaper advertisements, along with other promotions, are directing tourists to the OTCA website, where they can purchase tour packages that include hotel rooms, concert tickets, museum admission, and restaurant dining.
“Ultimately we’ll see more people staying in the hotels, eating in the restaurants,” says Van Kregten.
“We want to see the people come and we’re anticipating that we will.”
“Tourism as a whole has been going through some downturns since 2001 with SARS and September 11,” says Van Kregten. “But we’re cautiously optimistic.”
Craig Stevenson, general manger of Hy’s Steak House on Queen Street, says he is also optimistic. “Definitely with the increase in budgeting and the hotels getting a bigger occupancy, it’s certainly going to make a big difference here.”
Stevenson says he’s hired two new waiters in preparation for the anticipated influx of tourists. He expects business to go up 10 to 15 per cent during Winterlude.
Katherine Keyes, spokesperson for NCC Winterlude, says the core events of Winterlude will stay the same, but they are collaborating with the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation to build a $415,000 Snowbowl amphitheatre on the Rideau Canal.
The Snowbowl will be the scene of music concerts, ice shows, and other entertainment throughout Winterlude, and will stay in operation even if the canal isn’t frozen over.
Van Kregten says the biggest benefit of the increased marketing will come after Winterlude itself, when tourists revisit the capital. “A lot of our visitors are already repeat customers.”
“We’ve found that once people have been here, we’ve got them,” she says. “It’s been difficult to draw them with limited funding, but once they’re here the city sells itself.”
“Chances are if they come during Winterlude they’ll come back in the summer,” she says.
Stevenson agrees. “Oh definitely, we’re going to try to kill them with good service to get them back here,” he says. “Instead of coming once a year, I’m trying to get them to come on Tuesday.”
“Our goal is to bring lots more people to Ottawa,” says Van Kregten. “And generally see the city buzzing.”