Tourism innovators win $3K to pursue initiatives
Three finalists who made winning pitches for the Windsor-essex Spark Program will each receive $3,000 and mentorship to help take their tourism ideas to the next level.
“The quality of applications and ultimately our three winners shows us just how fertile our region is for driving growth in innovation,” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “The goal is to find and support new ideas that will enhance our tourism offerings and motivate travel to Windsor Essex, particularly as we learn to embrace a new landscape of tourism experiences.”
The goal is to find and support new ideas that will enhance our tourism offerings and motivate travel to Windsor Essex.
The Spark Mentorships and Grants Program is a partnership between the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab, Southwest Ontario Tourism Corp., Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, Libro Credit Union and Wetech Alliance.
The top five applicants were asked to present their ideas at a virtual pitch session held on Thursday. A panel of judges picked three winners:
Billy Alexander of Caldwell First Nation wants to provide hands-on, culinary experiences that focus on Indigenous food, culture and community. Corey Robertson, from The Bank Theatre, wants to have Point Pelee National Park be a stage for local actors to provide Spirit Walks or stories about our cultures and combine them with related experiences. Leslie Meloche from Walnut Grove B&B plans to have a sommelier-guided experience providing tastings of local wines paired with locally sourced cuisine.
In addition to startup funds and mentorship, applicants will gain access to a network of tourism innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders across the province.
“We congratulate the three winners of the second round Windsor Essex Spark Program, and are excited to work with them to help develop new and exciting tourism initiatives in the region,” said Justin Lafontaine, program lead with the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab.