Rural Tourism Growth Workshop

Learn how to tell your story, get found online, and turn searches into visitors. Created in partnership with Durham Tourism and the Business Advisory Centre Durham. Whether you operate a farm, attraction, accommodation, retail shop, experience-based business, or tourism destination, attracting visitors today requires more than just a great offering. You need to tell your story, be visible online, and make it easy for visitors to find and choose you. Join us for this practical half-day workshop designed specifically for rural tourism businesses across Durham Region. You’ll hear from three local experts who will share actionable strategies to help you market your business more effectively using tools you already have. Discover how to create compelling tourism videos with your smartphone, improve your visibility across search engines, social media, and AI-powered search tools, and optimize your Google Business Profile to attract more visitors looking for local experiences. You’ll leave with marketing ideas, practical tools, and simple strategies you can implement immediately to increase awareness, engage potential visitors, and drive more traffic to your business. 8:30am – Registration, Breakfast and Networking 9:10am – Make Them Want to Be There: Better Tourism Video With Your Phone by Norm Reynolds, North Brothers 10:00am – Get Found Locally: Maximizing Your Google Business Profile by Teresa Shaver, Business Advisory Centre Durham 11:00am – Be Findable: Building Local Awareness Online by Brent Colmer, Boy Who Blogs 12:00 noon Event Concludes Space is limited. Register today and learn how to attract more visitors, tell your story more effectively, and help your tourism business stand out online.