DESTINATION TORONTO’S SHOW LOVE, GET LOVE MEETINGS CAMPAIGN

Destination Toronto is excited to share with you a new campaign designed to encourage domestic meeting planners to book their future business events in Toronto. The Show Love, Get Love campaign reminds Canadian planners that—once it’s safe to do so—our Toronto hotels are ready when they are to begin booking future meetings and events.

The digital campaign features an aggressive offer that promises, “more benefits and zero headaches” for future meetings held in the city.  

This multi-channel campaign uses owned, earned and paid tactics to drive engagement and leads through the Destination Toronto sales team for the 25 participating hotels.

Business events will be critical to our industry’s recovery. Keeping Toronto top-of-mind now, will go a long way in helping to move us along the path to full recovery, for our industry and the city’s visitor economy.

We encourage our business events community to join in the campaign on social by sharing the dedicated Destination Toronto posts online. 

For any questions about the new campaign, contact Dan Young at Destination Toronto.

CITY COUNCIL APPROVES BIGGER AND BETTER CAFÉTO TO HELP LOCAL RESTAURANTS

Some welcome news for Toronto’s culinary community. Toronto City Council today unanimously approved a bigger and better CaféTO program to help Toronto’s main street restaurants and bars during the City’s ongoing pandemic response.

The first wave of registration for the expanded CaféTO program will begin in late February and, pending public health orders, the first approved CaféTO curb lane closure locations for 2021 would be in installed as soon as May – almost two months earlier than last year.

In 2020, CaféTO supported 801 restaurants in 62 BIAs, as well as 96 restaurants outside of BIAs. An additional 44 public parklets in BIAs were activated. The 439 curb lane closures converted 9,683 metres of traffic lanes into new outdoor dining space for restaurants.

SOCIAL ROUND-UP: NEIGHBOURHOOD STROLLS & SUPPORTING LOCAL

Destination Toronto continues to encourage locals to stay safe while also supporting Toronto businesses. Here’s a round-up of activities this week on our social channels:

• The St. Lawrence Market was featured this past week including a neighbourhood stroll by Krystle (@DineandFash) garnering 24,000+ views on Instagram. 
• Canada Takeout Days are happening each and every Wednesday. This week, was sushi week, featuring a contest giveaway at a new King West sushi restaurant, Minami Toronto.
• The Toronto's Festival of Cool is entering its final weekend along the waterfront for locals nearby to check out while out for essentials or exercise.
• This Saturday, Arienne (@seeusoontravel) takes over our social showcasing free outdoor winter activities around the city that you can safely enjoy right now.
• Destination Toronto’s social also continues to promote Toronto’s culinary community offering takeout and delivery with ToGoToronto.com. Since the start of the campaign, ToGoToronto has referred nearly 36,000 locals to participating restaurants.

Next week, stay tuned for an Instagram Live happening on Tuesday with several of our local ambassadors unboxing Valentine’s Day goodies from local restaurants and shops.

 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HIGHLY-AFFECTED SECTORS LOAN PROGRAM NOW UNDERWAY

The Canadian government’s Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) is now accepting applications through financial institutions. HASCAP aims to provide financial support for businesses that have been hardest hit by the pandemic, including tourism, hospitality and arts & culture businesses.

The Business Development Bank of Canada will work with participating banks to offer government-guaranteed, low-interest loans of up to $1 million, available until June 15.

To be eligible, businesses need to show a year-over-year revenue decline of at least 50% in three months, within the eight months prior to their application. They must also be able to show their financial institutions that they have previously applied for either the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy. 

REMINDER: ONTARIO SMALL BUSINESS SUPPORT GRANT 

The portal to apply for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant is now open. Eligible businesses can receive between $10,000 and $20,000 to help with revenue losses expected as a result of the province-wide shutdown. To qualify businesses must demonstrate they have experienced a revenue decline of at least 20 per cent when comparing monthly revenue in April 2019 and April 2020. New businesses established since April 2019 are also eligible provided they meet the other eligibility criteria. Businesses will be able to use the support in whatever way makes the most sense for them.

More information including the application for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant can be found here:

• Application Guide
• Application Link

THE CANADIAN LIVE MUSIC WEEK’S CAMPAIGN: #ForTheLoveOfLIVE 

#ForTheLoveOfLIVE is an awareness campaign launching next week to bring attention to the damage COVID-19 has have caused Canada's live music industry. Beginning on Tuesday, February 9, the CLMA is asking the public and music industry to tag their handles and use #ForTheLoveOfLIVE in social posts.

DOORDASH TO PROVIDE $1 MILLION+ IN GRANTS TO HELP CANADIAN RESTAURANTS

DoorDash announced it will be providing $1,125,000 in local COVID-19 relief grants to help restaurants in Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver. Restaurants will be able to apply to receive a $3,000 grant to be used to offset costs associated with the ongoing pandemic. The grant program is part of the company's Main Street Strong Pledge, a grant program to help restaurants in select cities. 

UPCOMING VIRTUAL EVENTS

DESTINATION ONTARIO WEBINAR: GET SELLING ONLINE

Destination Ontario is teaming up with Digital Main Street and Google to offer a free tourism-focused webinar to get selling online. This webinar will focus on how small businesses can learn about and participate in the ShopHERE Powered by Google Program to build a new online store or improve existing websites to support ecommerce. Take advantage of one-on-one support to be more effective in selling your product or service in a digital environment!

Tourism business with fewer than 10 full-time employees (25 for restaurants) are eligible to attend.

Friday, February 12
10 – 11:15 am  

TIAO’S TOURISM ISSUES FORUM 2021

The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario is hosting their virtual Tourism Issues Forum over the course of three mornings (February 9-12). The forum features a new speaker each day, followed by a live Q&A. 

RENDEZ-VOUS CANADA RETURNS: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN

Rendez-vous Canada is back this year as RVC+, taking place virtually from May 17-20. RVC is Canada’s signature tourism marketplace where international travel trade connect with Canada’s tourism industry. This annual marketplace is an important business development opportunity for the Canadian tourism industry. The format of the annual event allows us to reconnect with top tour operators and partners in key international markets, to prepare for the return of international travel. Registration is now open for RVC+.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Toronto’s longest-running Black History Month festival now underway: Harbourfront Centre’s Kuumba is Toronto’s longest-running Black History Month festival of 25+ years. This year’s edition, part of Black Futures Month, kicked off this week. Programming is running throughout February.

Obsidian Theatre and CBC announce programming for 21 BLACK FUTURES: Obsidian Theatre and the CBC unveiled the full line-up of directors and performers for 21 BLACK FUTURES – an anthology of 21 filmed monodramas, commissioned from 21 multigenerational Black playwrights across Canada, directed by 21 Black directors and performed by 21 Black actors. 21 BLACK FUTURES premieres this month.

YongeTOmorrow approved by City Council: Toronto City Council has voted in favour of a plan to transform Yonge Street in the downtown core, which could see reduced lanes of vehicle traffic and more space for pedestrians, seating and greenery. The project could see Yonge reduced to two lanes in parts, with only one-way driving possible in some sections. More thorough plans will now be developed, evaluated, and additional consultations will be held.

Partnership between Soulpepper and Toronto's History Museum announced: Mayor Tory announced a new, year-long partnership between Soulpepper and the City of Toronto’s History Museum's Awakenings program centred around artist mentorship. As part of the announcement, the first chapter of a new music series called Kitchen Concerts at the Inn premiered.