‘So much pent up demand’: Region gearing up for summer festivals, tourism

Our region is getting ready for a ramp up of summer festivals, events, staycations, and tourism.

“This is the first summer in two years now that actually feels normal. There's so much pent up demand out there for people to get out and have fun,” said Michelle Saran, CEO of Explore Waterloo Region.

Here are a few highlights this season:

• Cambridge Scottish Festival runs July 15 to 16
• Downtown Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show runs July 15 to 17
• Kitchener Blues Festival runs August 4 to 7
• Moparfest runs August 20 to 21
• Waterloo Busker Carnival runs August 25 to 28

“The great thing about a lot of these festivals, they're completely free,” said Saran.

She's expecting events like these draw in visitors from the GTA, London, and Hamilton. 

“What we're hoping is that people will stay longer and maybe spend a little bit more. We've got that wonderful 20 per cent staycation tax credit that will help people do just that, hopefully,” Saran said.

“You might be coming in to stay for a festival, but add in some wonderful outdoor activities. We've got incredible cycling and hiking on our trails, museums. You can immerse yourself in the Mennonite culture in St. Jacobs or Elmira.”

It's a much-needed boost in business for the region's tourism industry.

Saran said, “In 2020, our hotel occupancy was running at about 18 per cent, which is terrible. It's normally around, when we're looking at an April time-period, we're usually at around 70 per cent. In 2021, we're at 23 per cent.”

She's heard from businesses that they've taken on a lot of debt, and it won't be until 2024 or 2025 that they fully recover from the effects of the pandemic. 

So far, there is good traction.

“We're hearing from our hotel properties that interest is up about 35 per cent over 2019 numbers, so that's incredible,” said Saran. 

“If festivals aren't your thing, we've got something for everyone. All you have to do is go on ExploreWaterloo.ca or follow us on our social channels.”