GRAVENHURST, ONT. -- Before the trees shed their leaves, businesses in Muskoka are banking on the lure of multi-coloured foliage to bring thousands of tourists to the region.

"Muskoka is beautiful this time of the year, and people want to come to see the spectacular sight," said John Miller, president of the Muskoka Steamships and Discovery Centre.

Miller says fall is their busiest season. "We do about 40,000 passengers a year. Obviously, this year, it's going to be much less than that because we didn't start until halfway through the season, and we are operating at 50 per cent capacity."

Miller says cruises will run until the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Meanwhile, Muskoka Lakes Farm and Winery anticipates crowds with cranberry harvest season around the corner.

Co-owner Wendy Hogarth says several safety measures have been added, like limited occupancy and face masks, but the fan-favourites are still running. "We do wagon tours. We do wine tasting, and what we call a cranberry plunge where people can put a chest wader on and wade into cranberries to see what it's like to be a cranberry grower."

"Because of the summer we've had, a lot of operators are hoping to recoup a lot of lost income during the fall," says Janet O'Connell, Muskoka Tourism. O'Connell says these next few months will be crucial to a lot of businesses that rely on tourism.