Building Culinary Tourism in Manitoulin LaCloche One Bite at a Time

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Building Culinary Tourism in Manitoulin
LaCloche One Bite at a Time
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Agenda

• World Wide Momentum.
• Ontario Research and Insights.
• Opportunities for Manitoulin LaCloche.

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Trends

• Culinary tourism
• Organic/Biodynamic
• Zero footprint
• Environmental stewardship
• Reduce fuel miles
• Local economy
• Sustainability of farmers

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Icewine-Donald Ziraldo,Karl Kaiser
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Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy Action Plan
2005-2015

• Rooted in world wide research.
• Ontario specific strategy developed from the
  findings.
• Worked with 5 regions and industry partners to
  implement phase one.
• Foundation for formation of OCTA.
• For international culinary tourism research check
  out www.savourontario.org

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Ontario Research

• Just a Taste Dr. Stephen Smith,University of
  Waterloo, 2007
• Prince Edward County CT Wade, Martin
  JacobsRyerson University, 2006
• Niagara CT Wade, Martin Noseworthy, Ryerson
  University, 2005
• For Ontario culinary tourism research check out
  www.savourontario.org

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Dining Out in Ontario

• 25 demonstrated a preference for local foods.
• 64 demonstrated a preference for local foods
  when on vacation.
• In fine/vacation dining setting - more likely to
  select items when identified as being from
  Ontario/local.
• SOURCE OMAFRA-Savour Ontario Dining, 2007

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Recipe for a Successful Culinary Tourism Region

• Leadership
• Market ready or near market ready culinary
  products and services
• An integrated strategy
• Partnership and community based collaboration
• Financial support and performance measures

• Destination with good access to key origin
  markets
• Sufficient market intelligence
• Culinary tourism resources that are distinct to
  the region
• Destinations with multiple culinary tourism
  experiences
• An effective destination marketing organization

SOURCE Ontario Culinary Tourism Strategy
Action Plan 2006
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TOP 10 HOT ITEMS FOR 2007

• Bite-size Desserts
• Locally Grown Produce
• Organic Produce
• Flatbread
• Bottled Water
• Specialty Sandwiches
• Asian Appetizers
• Espresso/specialty coffees
• Whole-grain bread
• Mediterranean cuisine

Source National Restaurant Association, survey
of 1,146 members of the American Culinary
Federation, October 2006
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A Definition

• Culinary Tourism includes any tourism
  experiences in which one learns about,
  appreciates and/or consumes food and drink that
  reflects the local, regional, national cuisine,
  heritage, culture, tradition or culinary
  techniques.

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OCTA VISION

• Ontario will be the destination of choice for
  travellers seeking to enrich their understanding
  of our diverse regions and cultures through
  authentic culinary experiences.

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OCTA MISSION

• Help build sustain regional identities,
  agricultural resources.
• Present opportunities to develop new quality
  tourism products and experiences.
• Become a way in which we tell our story and
  share it with pride.

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OCTA Supply Chain

• Regions
• Galleries
• Media
• Spas
• Government
• Banks
• Tourists
• Marketers
• Cooking Schools
• Colleges

• Researchers
• Students
• Retailers
• Tour Operators
• Processors
• Distribution
• Vitners
• Cideries
• Outfitters
• Entertainment
• Universities

• Farmers
• Chefs
• Accommodation
• Restaurateurs
• Museums
• Attractions
• Festivals
• Spas
• Breweries
• Markets

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Who is the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance?

• Growing, membership based, alliance of 17
  regions, industry associations, businesses, not
  for profit organizations and government.
• Industry lead, Ontario based organization.
• Multiple sectors, pan provincial.

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OCTA Board Participation
Ontario Restaurant Hotel Motel Association,
Ontario Farm Fresh, Ontario Fruit Vegetable
Growers Association, Wine Council of Ontario,
Ontario Cattlefeeders Association, Ontarios
Finest Inns, Ontario Hostelry Institute, Ryerson
University, George Brown College, Greater Ottawa
Region, Greater Toronto Region, Niagara Region,
Muskoka/Parry Sound Region, Prince Edward County,
Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food Rural
Affairs, Ontario Ministry of Tourism.
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OCTA Members

• Ontario Fruit Vegetable Growers Association
• Niagara Culinary Trail
• Ontario Farm Fresh
• Resorts of Ontario
• Toronto Tourism
• Savour Ottawa
• Taste the County
• Savour Ontario Dining
• GTA AAC

• Ontario Wine Council
• Norfolk County
• Ontario Cattle Feeders Association
• Ontario Hostelry Institute
• Savour Muskoka
• Ontario Restaurant Hotel Motel Association
• Ontarios Finest Inns Spas
• Treeline Foods

Representing over 10,000 businesses and growing
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Regional Insights on how to Bring People Together
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Build on Existing Products

• Winterlude,Ottawa
• Icewine Festival,Niagara
• Royal Winter Fair,Toronto
• Flavours of Muskoka

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Build on things you have in Common

• Just Foods, City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism
  partnership
• Ottawa Culinary Tourism Summit
• Speed Dating for Farmers
• Formation of Savour Ottawa
• Formation of Board
• Committee Structure to address challenges
  Membership,Distribution, Marketing

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Promote what you are already Doing.
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Share your Stories
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Its About the Quality
It is not enough to be local
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Break Boundaries

• The internet is allowing boundaries between
  industries to be broken its the wind that
  blows the honeybee across the hill to another
  orchard to produce a hybrid
• Rob McEwen, Former CEO of
• Gold Corp Inc, Toronto

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OCTA Opportunities

• Instant admission to a broad network of culinary
  tourism expertise.
• Direct connections to potential business
  opportunities.
• Solid support for regional, grass roots
  development of culinary tourism.
• Information on the latest trends research.
• Province wide collaboration on funding
  opportunities.

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OCTA Opportunities

• Tools to assist you with marketing promotion.
• Search engine to locate Ontario grown products
  ingredients.
• Opportunities for added media exposure.
• Access to web forum for immediate feedback on
  ideas, questions.

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What are Chefs Looking for?

• Consistency
• Small orders because of limited space and a
  little goes a long way.
• Need delivery.
• Restaurant margins are low just like farm
  operations.

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• Clean produce to save chefs time and concern of
  dirt in kitchen.
• Even sizes for even cooking and steady portion
  control.
• Concerned about food safety so be prepared to
  describe your protocols.
• Chefs follow trends you can too.
• David Colhmeyer, Cookstown Greens

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Local Perspective

• Ted Smith

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Growing Manitoulin LaCloche Culinary
TourismWorkshop
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Objective

• To provide input to help move forward your region
  with maximum impact in the shortest time.
• Establish specific steps to build on your
  momentum by the Fall symposium.

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Manitoulin LaCloche Communications

• Goal To develop a Manitoulin LaCloche model for
  networking and to inform consumers and industry
  as to what you are doing.
• Each table identify a minimum of 10 specific
  partners that should be included and who are not
  here today.
• ALL

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Manitoulin LaClocheEvents

• Goal Events that could provide a means of
  communicating and networking and/or provide a
  link to each other and the consumer.
• ALL

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Manitoulin LaCloche

• Identify challenges for culinary tourism in
  Manitoulin LaCloche.
• Select those about which you can do something by
  fall 2008.
• Identify solutions/opportunities - quick wins.

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Conclusion

• Industry is taking the lead.
• Leadership is in place.
• Broad province wide,cross sector, multi regional
  partnership based momentum is underway.
• Action based in research.

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Contact OCTA

• Provincial Coordinator Susan Benson
• [phone]
• sbenson_at_crandella.com
• OCTA Co-Chair Rebecca LeHeup-Bucknell
• [phone]
• rebecca.taste_at_bellnet.ca
• www.savourontario.org