Info centre attracts Parry Sound visitors.

A new facility and a partnership with a private developer is expected to provide a tenfold increase in visitors to the city's new tourism information centre at a time when tourism is decreasing across the province.

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Opened on May 24, the new 750-square-foot space is part of a $4 million project by Toronto-based Windswept Developments that purchased the seven-acre site of the former tourism information centre from the municipality.

Located approximately seven kilometres south of Parry Sound, the site is being transformed into a gateway hub for the North. The former tourism information centre will be occupied by The Muskoka Store, an "everything-for-the-cottage store", while the remainder of the site is being renovated to eventually include the likes of Wendy's, Dairy Queen, Tim Hortons and an unnamed fast food store.

The land was sold on the condition the developer provide a space for municipal benefit. By allowing the tourism centre to share in the operating costs rather than sign a for-profit lease, the company is fulfilling that mandate.

"We have many businesses that rely strictly on the heavy summer season for their existence, such as resorts, restaurants and outfitters who shut down after the season's up," says Christine King, acting manager of Georgian Bay Country.

"So these kinds of initiatives are very important for them."

As a tourism initiative of the Parry Sound Area Community Business and Development Centre, Georgian Bay Country is taking over operation of the new tourism space, which was built as a Muskoka-style log cottage by local A & A Contracting.

A similar roadside cluster of restaurants in Nobel attracts nearly 1.8 million visitors per year. The level of traffic for the Parry Sound site is expected to draw similar numbers, as a result of the information centre.

"We're an hour and a half south of Sudbury and an hour and a half north of Barrie, so it's a good way to promote the North as well as our own part of the world," says Bill Spinney, general manager of the Parry Sound Area Community Business and Development Centre.

The former tourism information centre had an annual average of nearly 40,000 visitors, while Spinney says he hopes the new facility will bring in as much as 700,000 visitors in the coming summer.

As tourism makes up 65 per cent of Parry Sound's economy.

The volume of tourists has dropped by nearly 15 per cent from 2005 to 2006, with approximately 100,000 visitors passing through the city that year. This is in line with a trend of an overall decrease in tourism across the province, King says.

As a result, efforts to draw new people to the area and to determine ways to maximize resources are crucial.

For example, discussions will be held with adjoining businesses to ensure the centre's schedule will coincide with their peak times in order to make efficient use of the facility's three staff members.

Around-the-clock service will also be provided by a handful of computer kiosks will be located outside the centre. These terminals will link up to the Georgian Bay Country website and other community partners, and will have printers to allow visitors to create their own printouts. This will reduce the amount of flyers and brochures needed at the site, Spinney says.

"Most of the time, people who take a flyer will have tossed it in the trash by the time they get out to their car. This way, if they're printing out something that's of specific interest to them, it'll increase the chances that they'll hold onto it and make use of it."

Due to an expected downturn in FedNor funding, the centre will have to be self-sufficient, which has led to the creation of retail space within the facility. While product details have not yet been determined, Spinney expects a range of items such as hats, shirts and even rock carvings branded with the Georgian Bay Country logo will be sold.

King says she hopes this centre will help to drive forward the city's existing tourism opportunities, including Parry Sound's inclusion in the upcoming Georgian Bay touring route, as well as the second presentation of the World Enduro Championships, which saw 10,000 visitors from around the world last year.

By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business