Tourism
There’s no place like Peterborough & the Kawarthas.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas has the perfect blend of country and city landscapes and experiences. Visitors are continually attracted to the destination as it offers a multitude of experiences year-round that can be enjoyed in varying weather conditions – important factors for a strong industry.
Unlike many other destinations, Peterborough & the Kawarthas is not over-developed and over-priced. It’s relatively unspoiled, true to its heritage and easy to get to, making the destination more affordable and accessible and more authentic. These unique attributes, along with an impressive list of things to do, ensure that the destination can offer the natural and authentic experiences visitors yearn for.
Approximately 6 million people live within a 320 km radius. The tourism industry here has over 1000 businesses from accommodation and food & beverage to retail, transportation and arts, culture and heritage, all of whom have an important part in serving visitors and contribute to making lasting impressions and encouraging return visitation to the area. Our destination has a combination of internationally known tourism brands alongside many unique, innovative and entrepreneurial tourism businesses. Our rich mix of heritage city, cottage country and flourishing farmlands – unique in Ontario – makes investing, living and visiting here something out of the ordinary.
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Tourism & the Visitor Economy
Tourism Investment
We know investors in tourism need several things – Knowledge of the market base, statistics with respect to visitation and spending and access to human resources to deliver services and experiences. As experts in the industry, we can readily provide the stats needed by investors – they are vital in showcasing the vibrancy and the opportunity of investing in tourism in our region.
Skilled Labour
We have 2 local Colleges and a University which offer Tourism, Marketing, Business and Aviation programs which are invaluable assets in ensuring our workforce has the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the tourism sector.
Leveraging Regional and Provincial Tourism Opportunities
Peterborough & the Kawarthas makes up half of the Kawarthas Northumberland Tourism Region (RTO8) which is one of thirteen tourism regions recognized by the Government of Ontario, and strategically aligns our efforts with those of our Regional Tourism Organization as well as Ontario Tourism to maximize our investment in the sector.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas is a Trent-Severn Trail Town
A Trail Town is a destination along a long-distance trail. Our trail is not a land trail, it is a waterway trail. Along the waterway, our Trail Town communities welcome visitors travelling by motor vehicles, boaters, paddlers, hikers, and cyclists with warm hospitality and pride of place. They support trail visitor needs with overnight accommodations, food, and retail opportunities, activities, and attractions.
The Trent–Severn Waterway is a 386 kilometre (240 miles) long canal route connecting Lake Ontario at Trenton to Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, at Port Severn. There are 44 locks (the first was built in 1833) along the waterway, including 36 conventional locks, two sets of flight locks two hydraulic lift locks, and roughly 32 kilometers (20 miles) of man-made channels. The waterway is a National Historic Site of Canada and its scenic, meandering route has been called “one of the finest interconnected systems of navigation in the world”.
In Peterborough & the Kawarthas, Trent-Severn Trail Town communities include Buckhorn and Lakefield.
Peterborough & the Kawarthas is located in the Kawarthas Northumberland Tourism Region
Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture Industries to promote regional tourism activity in the area that is now branded as Kawarthas Northumberland.
RTO8 markets the Kawarthas Northumberland region as a tourism destination to bring visitors to Kawartha Lakes, Peterborough City / County, and Northumberland.
- RTO8 works with the existing tourism offices in Peterborough & the Kawarthas, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, who are each responsible for product development and marketing to tourism consumers within their areas.
- These offices are the lead agencies for local tourism within each of the three sub-regions of Kawarthas Northumberland. Each works in partnership with stakeholders to market and develop their respective sub-regions and provides strategic and practical support to develop and sustain Kawarthas Northumberland – RTO8 as a competitive and sustainable tourism destination.
The purpose of Kawarthas Northumberland is to support a competitive and sustainable tourism industry, attract visitors, generate economic activity, and create jobs within the region.
Latest News in Tourism
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Mystery, Maps and Magic: Wanderlight Alpaca Experience LaunchesFirst-of-its-Kind ‘Quest’ for Visitors
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Peterborough & the Kawarthas named the Inaugural Water Ways Destination of the Year
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Canadian Canoe Museum Reveals New Location at Water’s Edge
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Sharing a New Chapter of Peterborough’s Epic Canoe Tale