MARKETING NOW - BUILDING CONFIDENCE WEBINAR HIGHLIGHTS MARKETING NEEDS DURING REOPENING

This week, Destination Toronto hosted the last scheduled webinar in the Path to Reopening EDGE Event series. Marketing Now - Building Recovery highlighted research and trends stemming from the reopening phase of the pandemic.

Led by Destination Toronto's EVP and CMO Jon Mamela, the webinar featured a panel discussion with thought leaders sharing their views on managing the current situation and how they have pivoted marketing efforts.

A discussion with Rove Marketing and Twenty31 highlighted recent trends and insights about resident sentiment towards travel and what residents value from establishments during recovery.

FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Use of face masks tops the list of most important safety measures: Guests prioritize the use of face masks as the most important safety feature in establishments, followed by cleanliness, physical distancing and limited capacity. 
   
   
2. Safety measures can be improved by offering more complimentary hand sanitizer: There's always room for improvement. When looking at safety measures, guests want more complimentary hand sanitizer, followed by physical distancing and signage in establishments.  
   
   
3. Torontonians' support for tourism is shifting and becoming more positive: Toronto resident sentiment towards the value of tourism is higher than the North American, European and Asia-Pacific averages. 
   
   
4. Toronto residents are searching for activities at near-2019 levels: Google data shows that Toronto residents are searching for activities like food, wine, nightlife, attractions and tours at near-2019 levels again following a significant drop earlier this year.
    
5. Support for domestic visitors is increasing: Residents from urban cities in Ontario show a growing support for visitors from nearby communities and other parts of the province since May. What's more is that nearly half of Canadians surveyed are interested in travelling, compared to only 28% in June. 

You can find more of these insights in the presentation found here. 

Thank you to all of those that were able to attend the webinar, and a special thank you to all of the panelists who shared their knowledge and insights about marketing during recovery:

• Peter Doyle, General Manager, Ripley's Aquarium of Canada
• Robert Lemieux, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing, Accor Hotels Central Canada
• Oliver Martin, Partner, Twenty31 Consulting Inc.
• James Sauter, Partner, Rove Marketing
• Katie Grey, Strategic Communications Manager, Toronto Zoo
• Steven Hellmann, Founder, The Foodies Group
• Juliano Lissoni, Managing Director Canada, MCI

If you were unable to attend the webinar, you can watch or download it here. 

SOCIAL SERIES:
3 CORNERS OF TORONTO SHOWCASED THIS WEEK

MAYOR TORY ANNOUNCES $1.7 MILLION IN RELIEF FOR LIVE MUSIC VENUES

Mayor Tory has announced that 45 live music venues will receive a combined $1.7 million in property tax relief to support Toronto's live music industry and address the challenges threatening live music venues across the city. 

The relief measure will be implemented through the final supplementary property tax notices that will be issued in the fall. City staff will also be analyzing the impact of the measure and report back to council in 2021. The measure is intended to remain in place beyond this year to support the long-term viability of Toronto's live music sector, the city says.

CITY OF TORONTO ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR INDOOR CAPACITY LIMIT

In response to requests from restaurants, bars and other food service premises to increase their capacity limits, the City of Toronto established a process to apply for exemptions to the limits outlined in the by-law. Owners or operators of venues can complete a survey to be considered for an exemption from the capacity limit.

OTHER GOVERNMENT UPDATE:
CERB, STATE OF EMERGENCY EXTENDED

CERB extended, new benefits added: Newly-appointed federal Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced that CERB will be extended an additional four weeks until the end of September. The $2,000 a month benefit was set to expire at the end of August. The government also announced that it's revamping the employment insurance program to allow more people to receive financial assistance during COVID-19.Measures include greater flexibility on the work hours required for EI, making it easier for people to qualify for a one-year period.

Ontario State of Emergency extended: The Government of Ontario has extended the state of emergency for another month, now in place until September 22. 

INDUSTRY NEWS

Destination Canada appoints new President and CEO: Marsha Walden has been named the new President and CEO of Destination Canada. Walden joins DC from Destination British Columbia where she served as President and CEO since 2013. Congratulations, Marsha!

The Ex announces virtual programming: Although the iconic lights of the midway won’t shine at the CNE this year, that doesn't mean you can't check out some of your favourite fair features online. The Ex has launched CNE at Home virtual fair content, available from August 21 to September 7. Over all 18 days of what would have been the 2020 CNE the Ex is sharing some of the most popular shows, recipes, busker tricks and more. 

St. Regis Toronto opens news spa: St. Regis Toronto has opened their new sanctuary in the sky. Iridium Spa opens today, located on the 31st floor of the St. Regis Toronto hotel. 

Toronto Zoo's baby red pandas take over Twitter: The Toronto Zoo has unveiled photos of the newest members of the tourism community. The Zoo's newborn baby red pandas are now just over a pound each.