The natural beauty and tourism potential of Thunder Bay, Ont. and the surrounding region is being promoted this week at an event for international travel experience buyers in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Paul Pepe, Thunder Bay's tourism manager, said he travelled to Nova Scotia to take part in Rendez-vous Canada, an event co-sponsored by Destination Canada and the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
The event provides a unique opportunity to build relationships with tourism professionals from Asia, the UK, the United States and Canada, Pepe said.
The goal is to present northwestern Ontario attractions that could appeal to tourists from around the world.
"We lead with Sail Superior, with Wilderness North, with Fort William Historical Park, which are three Ontario signature experiences," said Pepe. "There's a lot of interest in what we have in the northwest. I think it's really important. We show the pictures. We show the videos of the landscape. The international market is really hungry for new product and new experiences."
Pepe said helping international tourism salespeople understand what northwestern Ontario is all about helps them build packages to sell to their markets.
Selling and showcasing the incredible natural beauty and wildness of the northwest is a large part of the reason for attending, he added.
"We live on the shore of the world's largest freshwater lake, we are moments from the world's largest, continuous boreal forest," he said. "We have some pretty spectacular outdoor experiences."
Pepe said the three-day Rendez-vous Canada event wraps up Wednesday.