March Break rakes in dollars for Georgian Bay tourism operators

School-aged children aren't the only ones celebrating their week away from the classrooms this March Break. Tourism operators around Georgian Bay are reaping the rewards of an unrestricted March Break, with many bookings promising to bring in big dollars this week.

For the Blue Mountains, one year has made quite a difference.

According to Andrew Siegwart, the President of the Blue Mountain Village Association, bookings at the ski resort have levelled out to where they were pre-pandemic, making for a manageable but busy March Break.

"We're certainly in a better position than we were during last year's March Break," Siegwart said. "As we saw through large parts last year, international flight delays became a big issue; families here have been saying, 'we want to spend quality time with our friends and family."

That means once they're done hitting the slopes, plenty of shoppers and diners around the village are helping to keep business owners happy.

"We're definitely seeing that influx of tourism dollars," Siegwart said. "That's something being seen for many around Georgian Bay as well."

At Georgian Bay Hotel, family bookings have been coming in strong. It's a bonus for the hotel that sees its peak season during the summer months.

"Anytime the kids are out of school, we have something to celebrate," said Vice President of Operations, Ashleigh Levoy. "We've picked up from last year in terms of a stronger comfort level, more demand, and people are a little bit more comfortable to leave their homes."

The tourism organization, South Georgian Bay Tourism, told CTV News that its operators are seeing similar booking levels to Georgian Bay Hotel this week.

While families have more options this year, the group said it has made bookings more manageable due to the dispersed demand.