2025 Industry Survey GENERAL INFORMATION Question Title * 1. Name (Optional) Question Title * 2. Region County of Brant Brantford Six Nations of the Grand River Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation Hamilton Ancaster Dundas Stoney Creek Burlington Oakville Milton Acton Georgetown Glen Williams Question Title * 3. Which industry sector best describes your organization’s primary operations? Accommodation (E.g. Hotel, motel, bed and breakfast) Camping / Campsite (Roofed and Non Roofed) Restaurant and Food Service Brewery, Winery, Cidery, Meadery, Distillery Outfitter / Tour Operator Golf Course Transportation Provider Event Facilities (E.g. Conference Centre, park grounds) Event organizers Agriculture / Farm Cultural Centre Museum / Heritage Site Art Gallery/ Performing Arts Retail / Shopping High-Impact Attraction (E.g. Safari, zoo, theme park, high-volume attractions) Waterpark Conservation Authority Business Improvement Area (BIA) Chamber of Commerce Destination Management Office (DMO) Gaming / Casino Question Title * 4. Which industry sector best describes your organization’s secondary Business? Accommodation (E.g. Hotel, motel, bed and breakfast) Camping / Campsite (Roofed and Non Roofed) Restaurant and Food Service Brewery, Winery, Cidery, Meadery, Distillery Outfitter / Tour Operator Golf Course Transportation Provider Event Facilities (E.g. Conference Centre, park grounds) Event organizers Agriculture / Farm Cultural Centre Museum / Heritage Site Art Gallery/ Performing Arts Retail / Shopping High-Impact Attraction (E.g. Safari, zoo, theme park, high-volume attractions) Waterpark Conservation Authority Business Improvement Area (BIA) Chamber of Commerce Destination Management Office (DMO) Gaming / Casino Question Title * 5. Could you please indicate the total number of employees within your organization? 1 to 5 6 to 10 11 to 20 21 and more Question Title * 6. What is your Annual Operational Budget ? $20,000 to $50,000 $50,001 to $100,000 $100,001 to $200,000 $200,001 and more BUSINESS INFORMATION Question Title * 7. Please identify and rank your sources of customers. The top position being your most common source, and the bottom position being your least common source. Question Title * 8. Thinking back to last year’s high season business (July to August 2024), how was this year’s business compared to last year? Much better Somewhat better About the same Somewhat worse Much worse Question Title * 9. Thinking back to last year’s high season traffic/visitation (July to August 2024), how was this year’s traffic/visitation compared to last year? Much better Somewhat better About the same Somewhat worse Much worse Question Title * 10. How have the following factors impacted your business in 2025 so far? Negatively Neutral Positively Economy Economy Negatively Economy Neutral Economy Positively Political climate Political climate Negatively Political climate Neutral Political climate Positively US exchange rate US exchange rate Negatively US exchange rate Neutral US exchange rate Positively Weather Weather Negatively Weather Neutral Weather Positively Competition from other destinations Competition from other destinations Negatively Competition from other destinations Neutral Competition from other destinations Positively Gas Prices Gas Prices Negatively Gas Prices Neutral Gas Prices Positively Internal manpower/capital resources Internal manpower/capital resources Negatively Internal manpower/capital resources Neutral Internal manpower/capital resources Positively Question Title * 11. During the year, did you notice any guest/traffic/booking patterns in your business (examples - traveller engaging more with responsible/authentic/sustainable experiences, more online booking, less spending on retail, more cyclists visiting your business, more domestic travellers, less US visitation etc.) Question Title * 12. In what months would you like to grow your business for 2026? (Check all that apply) Winter (Jan to Mar) Spring (Apr to Jun) Fall (Sept to Nov) PRODUCT/EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT Question Title * 13. What type of support would be most valuable for your product development? (Check all that apply) Training Workshops One-on-One Mentorship Market Insights Funding Support Partnership Facilitation Other (please specify) Question Title * 14. Which product development areas are you most interested in advancing? (Check all that apply) Experiential Tourism (focused on direct interaction and experiences) Transformative Travel (elevated experience meant to bring about personal change or growth) Culinary Rural/Agri-Tourism Winter/Shoulder Season Indigenous Tourism Cultural and Food Tourism Sustainable and Regenerative Travel Adventure Travel (cycling, paddling, hiking, climbing, etc.) Accessible tourism Other (please specify) TRAVEL TRADE AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Question Title * 15. Are you currently offering your travel products or experiences through an Online Travel Agent (OTA), such as Expedia, Priceline, Get Your Guide, or tour operators, wholesalers, receptive operators, travel agents? Yes, with an OTA (answer Q16) Yes, with Tour operators and wholesalers (answer Q16) Yes, with both OTAs and tour operators (answer Q16) No but I am considering (answer Q16) No and I am not considering (skip Q16) Question Title * 16. If you answered Yes or are considering entering the travel trade in question 15, what type of support would help you better access travel trade channels? Product readiness training Packaging/itinerary development Sales Distribution Participation Sales materials/Collateral Development Partnerships with other operators Other (please specify) Question Title * 17. How important is travel trade to the growth of your business over the next 3–5 years? 1 Star for Not Important - 5 Stars for Most Important TRAINING, SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT Question Title * 18. Which areas of training or professional development would be most valuable for your team in the next 12 months? (Check all that apply) Frontline hospitality skills (customer service, guest experience) Food & beverage service training (serving, mixology, wine/beer knowledge) Culinary skills (kitchen prep, chef training, food safety) Event management / group sales training Sales & upselling techniques for tourism products/experiences Leadership & supervisory skills (team management, scheduling, coaching) Digital marketing & online booking management (social media, OTAs, SEO) Artificial Intelligence Health & safety compliance (first aid, workplace safety, food safety handling) Accessibility & inclusion training for guests with diverse needs Sustainability practices (green tourism, waste reduction, energy efficiency) Cultural awareness & Indigenous tourism training Product/Experience Development Recruitment and Retention Other (please specify) Question Title * 19. How do you prefer training to be delivered? (Check all that apply) Traditional Format: In-person workshops (regional training sessions, half-day/full-day) Traditional Format: On site Training at the Business (trainer comes directly to staff) Traditional Format: In-person workshops Conference/ Learning days (multi-session, networking + training) Virtual Format: Live Virtual Sessions (interactive webinar with Q+As) Virtual Format: Hybrid Session (Some attend in person, some attend virtually) Virtual Format: Self-paced online courses (log in anytime, complete at own pace) Virtual Format: Microlearning modules (short 10–15 minute digital lessons) Virtual Format:Video tutorials / recorded sessions (on-demand replays) Experiential Learning: On-the-job training / shadowing (learning while working) Experiential Learning: Mentorship programs (pairing staff with experienced leaders) Experiential Learning: Peer-to-peer learning circles (operators/staff sharing practices) Experiential Learning: Simulations or role-play training (e.g., guest service scenarios) Flexible/Blended Approach: “Train the trainer” models (RTO trains supervisors who then train staff) Flexible/Blended Approach: Blended programs (mix of online modules + in-person practice) Other (please specify) Question Title * 20. What workforce challenges are you most concerned about in the next 12 months? (Check all that apply) Labour Shortages High Vacancy Rates Retention Challenges & Staff Turnover Difficulty Attracting Seasonal Workers Skills Gaps Competition from Other Sectors Rising Wage & Economic Pressures [Tariffs, Benefit Demands etc.] Housing & Cost of Living for Staff Transportation & Accessibility Barriers Reliance on Foreign / Temporary Workers & Immigration Hurdles Burnout and Workplace Stress Other (please specify) Question Title * 21. What additional Training and Skills Development support from the RTO would be most valuable? (Check all that apply) Recruitment/job fair support/job posting promotion Partnerships with colleges/universities for staffing Access to HR tools & templates (job postings, onboarding guides, retention strategies) Support with housing or transportation solutions for seasonal/temporary staff Regional promotion of tourism careers Networking opportunities with other operators (peer-to-peer learning, best practices) Other (please specify) CONSUMER MARKETING (VISITORS) & INDUSTRY COMMUNICATIONS (BUSINESSES) Question Title * 22. Did you make any financial investment into marketing & promotions for your business, product, event, or experience in 2025? Yes, I budgeted $100 to $500 Yes, I budgeted $501 to $1000 Yes, I budgeted $1001 to $3000 Yes, I budgeted more than $3001 for the year No, I relied on free marketing (Social media posts, website listings, city support) Question Title * 23. What marketing platforms do you use to promote your business? (Check all that apply) Business Facebook Facebook paid ads Business Instagram Instagram paid ads Business TikTok TikTok paid ads Google ads Google discovery Destination Management/Marketing Office (DMO) website DMO visitor guide Business Improvement Area (BIA) website BIA guide City/town website Print ads vis newspapers, local papers, magazines, guides Other (please specify) Question Title * 24. What are your preferred sources for industry/business-related information that support your business? (Check all that Apply) Industry/Association Websites Industry/Association Electronic Newsletters / E-mail Regional Tourism Organization (RTO) Websites Regional Tourism Organization (RTO) Electronic Newsletters / E-mail Destination Management Organization (DMO) Websites Destination Management Organization (DMO) Electronic Newsletters / E-mail Chamber of Commerce Websites Chamber of Commerce Electronic Newsletters / E-mail Business Improvement Area Websites Business Improvement Area Electronic Newsletters / E-mail Social Media - Instagram Social Media - Facebook Social Media - Linkedin Social Media - X / Twitter Social Media - Reddit Social Media - TikTok Association/DMO/Chamber/BIA In-person network events Other (please specify) DESTINATION SUSTAINABILITY Question Title * 25. How important is sustainability to your business strategy?1 Star for Not Important - 5 Stars for Most Important Question Title * 26. Which areas of sustainability would you like more support in? Reducing Environmental Footprint Staff Training Accessibility Community Engagement Visitor Education Sustainability Certifications None of the Above Other (please specify) Question Title * 27. Would you be interested in participating in regional sustainability programs or certifications? (e.g. GreenStep Destination Certification or other programs, Ontario By Bike, Feast ON, Rainbow Registered No Maybe Yes (please specify) GOVERNANCE & OPERATIONAL BOARD LEADERSHIP Question Title * 28. Have you ever considered submitting an application to serve as a volunteer Director on the RTO3 – Hamilton Halton Brant Board? Yes Not Interested Question Title * 29. If you answered yes, would you like to learn more about the Board’s activities and the role of a Board Director? Yes No Question Title * 30. If you answered yes, please provide the following contact information: Done
