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LOLTA Press Release

Jun 2000

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Land O'Lakes Tourist Association Press Release

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Area Association is determined to put Region on the Map May 30, 2000 -- Summer is almost here and the Land O' Lakes Tourist Association is gearing up its activities to put the region on the map as the preferred destination for tourists, said an official with the association. "Our job now is to get the word out. We're an undiscovered and overlooked destination, with nowhere to go but up in terms of tourism development. Most residents and businesses in this area aren't even aware of the extent of our activities, because the majority of our promotion is outside the region itself," said Victor Hoerdt, Tourism Development & Marketing Director of the Land O' Lakes Tourist Association. The LOLTA is the destination marketing organization mandated to promote tourism in this part of eastern Ontario, including all of Lennox & Addington County, North-Central-South Frontenac and the Tweed Township area. The LOLTA region includes communities such as Napanee, Verona, Tweed, Bath, Adolphustown, Sharbot Lake, Sydenham, Kaladar, Cloyne, Northbrook, Denbigh, Tamworth, Arden, Ompah and Plevna. Four provincial parks -- Bon Echo, Frontenac, Sharbot Lake and Silver Lake -- are also part of LOLTA. The association is a not-for-profit group supported by well over a hundred local businesses and organizations. This year, the association produced 50,000 copies of a brand new colour version of the Land O'Lakes map, the primary promotional piece for the area, he said. These maps and other promotional literature are distributed at travel information outlets across the country as well as at local businesses, municipal offices and visitor information booths. Hoerdt said the association is receiving requests for information on this area from many countries in the world including the United States, Europe and more distant places such as Iraq, Malaysia and Argentina. "There's no doubt that our efforts and investment are generating all kinds of new interest and that we're bringing visitors and their money here, especially from the United States. Inquiries are up significantly through our office. Efforts are also being made to attract travel writers and film crews to the area," said Hoerdt. The association distributed maps and brochures on the region at several major travel, fishing and outdoor sports shows earlier this year. These shows gave the association's representatives the chance to meet potential visitors, face-to-face, from across the northeastern United States as well as the important Ottawa, Toronto and Kingston markets, he said. Bill Pedersen, owner of a camping resort near Verona and a member of the association, agreed the region has a lot to offer to tourists. "We're there to plant seeds in the minds of the travelling public and sell them on the benefits of vacationing in this region. It pays off for every business in the area," said Pedersen. As part of its three-year Land O' Lakes Showcased program, the association is also conducting the largest print media advertising campaign the region has ever seen. "Aside from our visitor maps and brochures, for the first time we've advertised in various travel and fishing magazines, including some major Ontario Tourism publications. There's also some 140,000 Ontario East Discovery Guides, 20,000 Napanee Discovery Books and several thousand newsprint guides to Tweed and the Land O' Lakes which will help promote the entire region and provide information to tourists and residents," Hoerdt said. The LOLTA is also developing a new Internet web site, which maintains a list of all major regional events and provides links to various businesses. "It's a work in progress, but it's already the most comprehensive and detailed conglomeration of information ever compiled on this region. A searchable, interactive database is under development to list all businesses, features, attractions and services by category. This summer we'll be adding digital maps, enhancing the events listings, and adding more general, lure-type information and photos. Traffic on the site has already doubled in just the last few months and we expect even greater increases as linkages spread," said Hoerdt. The LOLTA works in co-operation with area municipalities, businesses, provincial parks, conservation authorities, and other community groups to enhance visitor information facilities and capabilities across this region. Last summer, the association hired summer student travel counsellors who staffed and maintained various information booths, including Adolphustown, Sharbot Lake, Denbigh, Kaladar, Fairfield House Park in Amherstview, the downtown Napanee BIA visitor centre and the Greater Napanee Chamber of Commerce. The Association will also be partnering with the Kingston Economic Development Corporation (KEDCO) under a new Rural Jobs Strategy project to add and enhance visitor information outlets and brochure display racks in the rural areas around Kingston, particularly in the Frontenacs and Loyalist Township. "This region still has a long way to go to get its facilities, attractions, signage and marketing activities up to national standards, and it can only be accomplished through regional cooperation", said Hoerdt. "However, this area is poised for significant growth of its tourism industry in the long term. All the basic building blocks are there: the heritage and rural scenery of Loyalist Country and the Napanee area, combined with the natural splendour of the forests, lakes and waterways of the Frontenacs and Mazinaw Country make for a terrific product we can brand and package as the Land O' Lakes. We offer very good fishing in some of the cleanest lakes in the Province, and the trails being developed such as the Trans Canada, Cataraqui, Lake Ontario Waterfront, Rideau and K&P trails will only add to the mix and benefit the entire region over the long term," said Hoerdt. He said the association depends largely on community commitment for funding its activities through events such as the upcoming annual Great Wilderness Draw, the major fundraising raffle sponsored by the LOLTA. Tickets for the draw will soon be available to the community, he said. "This year the grand prize will be a 4WD pick-up truck, with over sixty additional prizes and cash to be won. Tickets cost $100, but with a maximum of 1000 tickets available, odds of winning are relatively good," said Hoerdt. For more information contact Victor Hoerdt at (613) 336-1616 or 1-800-840-4445, or visit the Land O' Lakes website at: This news release is also available in electronic form (for easy copying, pasting and editing) via e-mail or diskette. Contact the above or e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Click to see the LOLTA in action promoting our region.

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With the participation of the Government of Canada