Tourism association promotes heritage towns and villages

As we celebrate this magical time of year, the Hills of Headwaters, in partnership with its member businesses, communities and municipal partners, has embarked on a marketing initiative to introduce residents of the GTA to our heritage towns and villages.

November 15, residents of the GTA were introduced to our historic towns and villages through the distribution of 50,000 heritage storybooks in the Toronto Star. Readers were invited to experience the warmth and charm of a Country Christmas in the Hills of Headwaters. The storybook enticed visitors to step back in time, to a magic land of hills and valleys, where lampposts are adorned with wreaths and boughs, where snow covers the sidewalks and the seasonal smells of Christmas drift from the doorways of specialty shops, galleries and boutiques.

One of the key features that sets the Hills of Headwaters apart from other destinations in Ontario is the unique clustering of vibrant

heritage towns and villages, each only a short drive from one another. Take a short drive along one of the many country roads that bisect our region and you are sure to come across a charming village or hamlet where restaurants, cafes, shops and galleries offer an extensive selection of quality products.

This clustering of authentic heritage villages has been identified as a priority tourism demand generator in the Hills of Headwaters region. Over the past several months the tourism association has been working with local community business associations, municipal economic development departments and interested business operators to develop a plan to promote the heritage towns and villages tourism experience into the marketplace.

Led by our icon tourism towns and villages, it was determined that a strategic and focused marketing effort can pull visitors into the region and have positive results for local merchants, increase visitation to the region, as well as encourage area residents to discover what's just outside their own back door.

This recent partnership between the tourism association and its member businesses was made possible with funding from the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership, who continue to recognize the work being done by the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association to promote our region as a quality tourism destination in Ontario. The Christmas towns & villages campaign is the first of a proposed bi-annual campaign to promote our region into the southern Ontario marketplace. Plans are currently under way for a second campaign to be undertaken in the spring of 2007.

The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association continually welcomes new members

and encourages local area merchants and businesses to provide input into the process of promoting the Hills of Headwaters as a quality tourism destination.

For further information about the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association or to find out how to participate in any of the upcoming promotional opportunities, please contact 519-942-0314 or info@thehillsofheadwaters. com or visit www.thehillsofheadwaters. com.