Tillsonburg the Next Stop for Tourism Oxford

Jeff Helsdon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Your Next Stop could be Tillsonburg with a new Tourism Oxford promotion.

Meredith Maywood, Product Development & Marketing Tourism Specialist for Tourism Oxford, provided insight into a new initiative called “ Your Next Stop” during an update to council at the May 30 meeting.

Your Next Step is a program designed to promote tourism stops that are located in close proximity to each other. Maywood said the concept is to reduce drive time and have more time for fun.

“People are spending less time on the road, and they’re visiting more activities and places within the destination,” she said, adding she is working on adding Tillsonburg to the program the following week.

Maywood also provided insight into some of the other work that Tourism Oxford is involved in. The agency is currently working with 190 tourism-related businesses in the county. These businesses employ a total of 3,415 people in the county. In 2023, there were 670,000 visitor trips from Canada and the United States to Oxford County, equivalent to 1.4 million nights. The total number of nights refers to the number of nights spent by anyone who visited Oxford and stayed overnight for either business or personal purposes.

Tourism Oxford is tracking tourism trends within the industry.

“We’re always wanting to know what’s happening with visitors, what they’re interested in, so we can then better support the businesses to understand what consumers are looking for,” she said.

One emerging trend is that travelers want to ensure their visit has a positive impact on the community they visit. For example, she said in parts of Europe, tourists pick up waste on some waterways.

Another thing being observed is an interest in culture, Maywood said, not just taking photos, but people are also “looking to immerse themselves in activities as well.”

Popular tourism trends include cycling, experiential tourism, and a desire to hear local stories. Tourism Oxford is also developing an ambassador program to promote the area to friends and relatives visiting residents.

“That’s to get our residents out to discover what’s in their backyard,” she said.

Council accepted the presentation as information.