Liberals investigating 'vacation villages' to boost tourism

Resort-style villages popular family holiday destinations in Europe

Thestar.com
March 20, 2016
By Ben Spurr

Niagara Falls? Been there. Algonquin Park? Done that. The CN Tower? Passe.

Ontario could get a whole new generation of hot tourist attractions if an idea being floated by Queen’s Park works out.

Procurement documents posted to the government’s website show that in February the province issued a tender to study the possibility of setting up “vacation villages” across Ontario.

The resort-style villages are popular family holiday destinations in Europe, where they attract millions of visitors every year. Some are as simple as a cluster of holiday cottages in an idyllic countryside setting, while others also feature amenities like bowling alleys, paintball fields and indoor water parks.

Center Parcs, one of two European companies whose village concepts the document says might be adapted for use in Ontario, has 21 locations in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and France. On its website, the company promises “first-class facilities, including stylish accommodation, restaurants and a wide range of indoor and outdoor activities from badminton to sailing.”

The Center Parc De Vossemeren in Belgium has a Discovery Bay “indoor play world” that includes a “tropical pirate adventure” complete with shipwreck, bamboo forest and sandy beach.

The government-commissioned study would “determine the financial viability and potential economic impact of a vacation village in Ontario” by examining factors like potential market size, provincial demographics and analysis of current holiday behaviour, according to the tender. The successful bidderwould also be asked to identify five potential locations for the attractions in the province, and produce two reports: one for internal government use and another to attract potential investors.

Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Sport Michael Coteau was on vacation Friday and was unavailable to respond to questions about why the ministry is pursuing the idea. But in an email, ministry spokeswoman Denelle Balfour said: “Tourism is an important economic driver in Ontario ... contributing $28 billion to our economy and supporting over 350,000 jobs. Our government is always looking for ways to grow this important sector.”

Balfour stated that the province’s proximity to the United States and growing domestic and international tourism markets“make Ontario a highly attractive location for the development of world-leading tourism products and experiences.”

Steve Clark, the Progressive Conservative Party’s critic for tourism, questioned the need to study the creation of new tourist towns. He warned the attractions could cannibalize business in the province’s existing holiday hot spots.

He said tourism is an important industry for his riding of Leeds-Grenville, which is home to the Rideau Canal - a UNESCO World Heritage Site - as well as the Thousand Islands.

“I can argue that I have some vacation villages that are already up and running in Leeds and Grenville. And I’m sure the other MPPs would feel the same. Maybe the minister wouldn’t because he’s already asked for this study,” he said.

“I think we’ve got some great infrastructure that we need to support now, without having to look at five new sites that we’re going to create.”