The City of Hamilton recently released a new Tourism Strategy meant to help establish the city “as a leading Canadian destination celebrated for its vibrant tourism districts, captivating nature-based activities, and authentic and sustainable experiences.”
The strategy is meant to cover until 2028 and builds on the city’s first Tourism Strategy, which covered 2015-20.
The document notes that tourism supports one in every ten jobs in Canada and that, in 2023, visitors spent almost $650 million in Hamilton.
At the same time, the strategy notes that the tourism industry was “severely crippled” by the pandemic and “full recovery has been dampened by surging inflationary pressures, travel disruptions, labour shortages, and uncertainty of a recession on the horizon, and global political unrest.”
The first strategic priority for tourism listed in the document is “Growing Hamilton’s Reputation as a Leading Tourism Destination,” which the city aims to do through “supporting industry partners” and “supporting the creation of unique experiences.”
A commitment to “sustainable tourism practices,” “supporting Indigenous tourism experiences,” and using a lens of “Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility” is also included under that heading.
The second priority is to “Cultivate Vibrant Tourism Districts” by fostering “a true ‘sense of place’ in Hamilton’s neighbourhoods.”
Staff say that this will be done through initiatives such as “placemaking, programming, and business investment attraction.”
As the City of Hamilton is known as the Waterfall Capital of the World and also boasts many trail systems, the third priority for the city is to “Promote and Support the Sustainability of Natural Assets.”
The Tourism Strategy says that initiatives include the development of the city’s new Waterfall Destination Master Plan, “facilitating recreational waterfront activities, and leveraging federal funding for trail enhancements.”
The fourth and final priority listed in the plan is to “Strengthen Hamilton’s Major Events and Festival Sector.”
The city says that the priority “focuses on securing investments in event infrastructure, leveraging new funding sources for event attraction, and implementing strategies to manage the impact of major events on local communities.”
Staff add that the city also has the “additional opportunity to actively seek out and support major festivals geared towards equity-deserving groups.”
The report adds that there are several developments within the city that should help the tourism sector.
Those developments include the major transformation of the city’s entertainment district, with large-scale renovations to the FirstOntario Centre and the Hamilton Convention Centre, the launch of the National Centre for New Musicals at Theatre Aquarius, and the building up of the West Harbour.
The report also notes that Hamilton “has made a name for itself as a key festival and event destination,” noting the major fairs and festivals that take place each year and the major sporting events such as the Grey Cup and NHL Heritage Classic that have recently taken place in the city.
However, staff say that despite the city having “excellent destination elements,” there is “no cohesive messaging around its tourism districts” and “limited, disjointed, and outdated physical and digital wayfinding.”
Staff add that local partners and visitors to the city have also “raised concerns about the cleanliness and safety of Hamilton’s downtown.”
Another challenge noted by staff is that the city has an “insufficient amount of high-quality economy hotels, no luxury hotels, and limited alternative accommodations,” such as cottages, camping, or glamping.
The strategy concludes by listing 29 action items that staff will work on to address the various challenges facing the tourism sector.
The full Tourism Strategy can be read here.
Based in Hamilton, he reaches hundreds of thousands of people monthly on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter. He has been published in The Hamilton Spectator, Stoney Creek News, and Bay Observer. He has also been a segment host with Cable 14 Hamilton. In 2017, he received the Chancellor Full Tuition Scholarship from the University of Ottawa (BA, 2022). He has also received the Governor General’s Academic Medal. He formerly worked in a non-partisan role on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
