It’s been a busy year at the Bay of Quinte Marketing Board, with bold strategies put in place to bring more investment into the Quinte Region.
Executive Director Dug Stevenson said that several key projects saw great success in 2024.
One of those projects is their “Free Gas” program. Designed to attract tourism during the slower fall and winter months, the program offers gas cards to people who book local hotel stays for two or more days during the slow season.
In 2024 so far, the program has cost $10,000 to run, but attracted tourist stays that generated an estimated $100,000 in spending in the area.
The marketing board isn’t just looking to attract visitors, but also to draw in skilled immigrants and build the local workforce. During 2024, the board launched the new Bay of Quinte immigration website. The website is being used to attract new Canadians to settle in the region, rather than just staying in the major urban centres.
“What we’re trying to do is attract what we call secondary migration,” said Stevenson. “So they moved to Toronto, they don’t really love their lifestyle. They’re feeling like it’s not exactly affordable, and so we want to show them what we have to offer here in the Quinte region.”
The board also saw success in their initiatives to draw film producers to the area. The program began in April and has already started to bear fruit.
“I think there’s a lot of potential in it for this region in terms of economic benefit and also employment sector benefits,” said Stevenson. “Especially when we consider the link it’s got to Loyalist College and the programs they have there that can fit into something like film and television, it’s a really awesome regional partnership.”
A recent production that filmed in Downtown Belleville generated $30,000 in revenue from hotel stays and food, with crew remaining in the area for about four days.
