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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit natural gas levies to the federal government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer filled with relief and grief following acquittal in death of Toronto police officer
'We hoped for this day, but we were scared that it would not never ever come because it took so long.' That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.
North Bay doctor accused of assaulting patient, threatening another
A North Bay doctor is facing charges after allegedly assaulting a patient with a weapon and threatening another person at the hospital, police say.