Tourism booms in Simcoe County with the changing seasons
Tourism operators in Simcoe County say the leaves aren't the only thing changing this fall, as an increase in tourists improves their fortune.
In what's been a difficult two years for the tourism industry, an interest in visiting the region this year has helped in its recovery.
"We're definitely seeing lots of travel this season to see the colours, something about the fall and this area, it kind of creates a sense of warmth," said Tara Lovell, public relations manager at Blue Mountain Resort. "The colours themselves are really unique to our area, and we kind of forget that sometimes. People will travel from all over the world to come and see the colours change."
Lovell noted that Americans, Europeans and visitors from Asia are particularly keen on seeing the fall leaves from atop the mountains. The resort uses its chairlift to bring guests to the top, where they can take in the colours on their hike.
Blue Mountain Resort also incorporates a nighttime walk with a lighted path down the mountain.
"You can see all of the colours start to change over Georgian Bay and the region here," Lovell added. "It's not peak season winter, of course, but we definitely see a lot of people coming through, whether it's for a hike or coming through the village."
Christie's Mill Inn and Spa is a popular spot in Port Severn. The new owner is preparing for her first fall season and said Americans have been coming to the area in particular.
"We actually just had someone leave us today from Buffalo," said Sharon Hales. "Even on their way here, they said they'd never seen colours quite like the ones we get up here, and we're not even in peak season."
Hales said she's booked with guests until November and expects that fortune to continue into the winter.
"We're certainly getting bookings, but I think we might see more traffic than what's anticipated," Hales added.
Tourism Simcoe County said fall is an important season for operators, with agriculture an important part of the region's history.
"Agricultural tourism and fall trees are mainly what brings people to the region," said Brianne Harris, Experience Development coordinator. "Our regular in-province and out-of-province visitation have bounced back to pretty much pre-pandemic levels, which is wonderful to see."
Harris added that there are numerous self-guided tours people can look for on Tourism Simcoe County's website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.