Do you own a tourism business in Northwestern Ontario? Are you a retailer or service business that caters to tourists? Does your company supply goods or services to businesses directly involved in tourism? If the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions, you should consider joining Ontario's Sunset Country Travel Association!
Established as a grassroots-driven, non-profit, tourism marketing organization in 1974, Ontario's Sunset Country has helped hundreds of thousands of tourists plan their vacations to our region over the last 50 years! The Association model is a perfect one for promoting tourism in Northwestern Ontario as it allows tourism businesses to pool their marketing resources together to effectively promote and position our region of North America as Canada's Premier Outdoor Destination - especially for fishing, hunting and outdoor adventure activities like canoeing or camping.
Ensuring our area is "out there" in front of consumers is the first step in getting them to consider a trip. Once they are thinking about our area only then do you have a chance of getting them to your lodge, campground, or into your store or restaurant. This is called Destination Marketing and it's what Sunset Country Travel Association does 24/7/365.
Direct Benefits for Your Business
In addition to being a part of the regional marketing effort, the direct benefits to your business from being a member are an even stronger reason you should join the Travel Association. Some of the direct benefits to your business include:
- A Lead Management System unlike any other in Canada to help you respond to people inquiring about vacationing in Northwest Ontario.
- A significant increase in traffic to your website from our website at visitsunsetcountry.com
- Full listing in the membership directory and dot(s) on our popular regional map showing your business location(s) in our Travel Guide
- Opportunity to benefit from our large following on social media, for example, we manage several Facebook pages with over 300,000 followers and we share your posts there. You can also follow us on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and TikTok
- Distribution of your product brochures at our sports show booth in key target markets
- Opportunity to place a print ad in our travel guide or a digital banner ad on our website
- Opportunity to "take over" our social media platforms with a Social Media package
- Opportunity to advertise in our consumer newsletter sent to visitors who have requested to receive them
This is certainly not an all-inclusive list of the benefits you receive from joining Sunset Country. Please see our Sunset Country 101 Guide, which has a lot more detail on the benefits of being a member and info on how we market the area and your business.
The poster-size pull-out map shows where accommodations are
Membership Packages Available
Sunset Country offers a variety of Membership packages depending on what type of business you have e.g. accommodation, retailer, municipality, canoe outfitter etc. Memberships start at just $247! These packages vary in cost based on how much marketing support you're looking for. Below is a summary of the packages we offer:
Accommodations:
For resorts, lodges, outposts, & houseboats, we offer two packages
- Platinum Level - $2,225 + HST
- Gold Level - $799 + HST
For hotels/motels/B&Bs, campgrounds, & canoe outfitters
- Standard Level - $395 + HST
Please note that the Standard level is only for hotels/motels/B&Bs, stand-alone campgrounds (no cabins) or canoe outfitters. If you have a lodge with a campground adjacent to the lodge, you do not need to buy a second membership, as it will be included in your platinum or gold membership. No consumer inquiries are included at the Standard level. If you would like the inquiries you must purchase Gold or Platinum. You must buy the Platinum or Gold level as a lodge, outpost or houseboat operator.
Need help deciding on the package that is right for you? Call us toll-free at 1-800-665-7567 or email info@visitsunsetcountry.com. If you own more than one lodge or business, call us about discounts for your additional businesses.
Retail & Service Businesses
Includes: Retailers, restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, professional services, marinas, bait and tackle shops, boat dealers, car dealers, etc
- Standard Retail Level - For retailers wanting to promote to consumers - $275 + HST
- Allied/Supplier Retail Level - For those wanting to promote to regional businesses - $899 + HST
Local Tourist Organization Level
- LTO (Information Centres, Local Tourist Organizations etc) - $650 + HST
Other Marketing Options
- Print ads in the travel guide
- Newsletter ads to consumers or industry
- Social Media Packages for that extra presence online
- Internet banner ads on visitsunsetcountry.com
Yes, I Want to Join Sunset Country - How Do I Proceed?
It's easy to join! Below are links to some downloadable PDF files. Print these off, fill them in and send them to us with your payment - it's that easy!
- Download the Sunset Country Remittance Form
- Download the Accomm. Membership Portfolio (Roofed Accommodation Businesses)
- Download the Retail Membership Portfolio (Retail/Service Businesses)
Need more info before deciding? Open the PDF below to learn more about our Membership Packages and benefits.
Download Sunset Country 101 (our guide that explains the benefits of becoming a member, as well as rates and discounts).
Questions? Call the Sunset Country Office at 1-800-665-7567 or email info@visitsunsetcountry.com
