About Ontario’s Southwest

What is Ontario’s Southwest?

In the past, you may remember us being referred to as SWOTC (Southwestern Ontario Tourism Corporation), but we like to go by OSW (Ontario’s Southwest) these days!

Ontario’s Southwest is a non-profit Regional Tourism Organization (RTO), funded by the provincial Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming and governed by an independent Board of Directors.

OSW works collaboratively with tourism stakeholders to increase revenue, profit, & employment, and champion tourism as a vital economic driver.

Ontario’s Southwest is known as RTO 1, our region spans across ten different Destination Marketing/Management Organizations (DMOS), including: Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Oxford County, Elgin County, Railway City Tourism, Tourism London, Middlesex County, Chatham-Kent, TWEPI, and Tourism Sarnia Lambton.

To continue to support tourism supply and attract visitors, working with Twenty31 Consulting Inc., OSW developed a new strategic plan to identify priorities for the organization ensuring it remains relevant and competitive. The above document identifies priorities for OSW while considering the need for a potentially shifting environment, ensuring OSW remains sustainable, relevant and competitive as a travel destination.

Guiding Principles

  1. We preserve our environment and places while balancing the needs of our local communities and businesses, and their many unique identities.

  2. We thrive when we are inclusive, diverse and equitable.

  3. We make deliberate decisions that are rooted in evidence and we remain adaptable to change by constantly keeping a pulse on the situational context.

  4. We unite the entire tourism industry and its supporters through open communication, collaboration, and partnerships.

  5. We are innovative and bold, moving with intention and confidence, going where we may not have been willing to go before.

OSW Pillars

Tourism Leadership

Establish OSW as a regional tourism leader

Tourism Supply Support

Optimize 2022 tourism potential & set up supply for 2022+

Tourism Demand Attraction

Increase visitation over next three years

Team OSW

Photo by Kerry’s Klips

Left to right: Jen Moore, Alayna Simpson, Joanne Wolnik, Ana Baxter, Megan Carman, Emma Rowley

Learn more about Team OSW + contact us!

Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming Resources

Background information on Ontario’s Tourism Regions:

Tourism Action Plan – Released June 2016 (PDF)

Travel Activities and Motivations Survey (TAMS), Canadian Travellers to Ontario

Learn travellers’ recreational activities and travel habits of Canadians and Americans.

Region 1 Tourism Update Tourism Research Unit, Sept 19 2014 (PDF)

Background on Tourism Research Unit, Region 1 Tourism Statistics and Ontario Tourism Outlook.

Revisions to Ontario Tourism Statistics April 10 2014 (PDF)

Statistics Canada has made methodological changes to the Travel Survey – see here for more details.

Destination Management/Marketing Organizations

Destination Marketing/Management Organizations (DMOs) are responsible for driving tourism growth, enhancing the visitor experience, and contributing to the overall economic and social well-being of a destination. All tourism organizations are encouraged to communicate with their DMO to determine how they can support you.

RTO 1 is home to ten (10) different DMOS: Haldimand County, Norfolk County, Oxford County, Elgin County, Railway City Tourism, Tourism London, Middlesex County, Chatham-Kent, TWEPI, and Tourism Sarnia Lambton.

Vision

Ontario's Southwest is a year-round destination offering highly sought experiences for visitors and residents.

Mission

Creating a vibrant and inclusive tourism sector that balances the needs of our visitors, tourism partners, communities, and environment.

Previous strategic planning documents retained for
reference purposes only:

OSW Strategic Recover Play 2020-2022, Revised Sept 2021

Transforming OSW into a World-Class RTO – Strategic Plan for 2018-2020