A recent conference shows there is continued growth along the North Channel and Highway 17 communities and tourism is an important component of growth for Blind River.
Karen Bittner, Blind River’s facility and recreation manager, told council on Monday that a recent Northern Ontario Tourism conference showed tourism is continuing to grow along the North Channel.
She emphasizes any promotion strategy has to involve input from all local residents and organizations.
Bittner adds she plans to bring fun, inexpensive and engaging plans to committee and council in 2019.
Bittner added the conference also identified new ways for attracting visitors to the area between Blind River and Sault Ste. Marie also taking into account what members of Mississauga First Nation have to offer.
“This conference is one of the most useful platforms for professionals working in tourism, management, and promoting our beautiful area,” said Bittner of the conference. “Tourism, specifically Northern Ontario, is steadily climbing.”
Workplace safety was another component of the conference.
“Workplace safety highlights the importance of everyone respecting each other’s role in the workplace,” she said.
“Safe measures are created with structure, open-door policies, and effective hazard management. This is a practice I am proud to say is followed in our work areas, where hazards noted by our employees are dealt with swiftly to ensure trust and caring.”
To attract foreign visitors, Bittner said it is essential for any promotion to use “vivid images to inspire the guest to feel like they are in Blind River long before purchasing their plane ticket to Canada.”
Any promotion strategy has to involve input from Blind River and Mississauga First Nation residents and organizations.
She also cautioned that particular attention has be paid to dealing with negative information on social media about the community and the area.
“I look forward to bringing fun, inexpensive, and engaging plans for committee and council,” she added. “We are going to continue pushing for many small-fish opportunities that produce faster turnaround, more revenue, and less long-term maintenance pressures.”