New Relief Funding for Ontario Tourism Sector

The Ontario government has announced a new, one-time program to support private sector tourism businesses in recovering from losses experienced because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The program is intended to help hardest-hit businesses reopen safely, create jobs, and support tourism recovery in Ontario. 

Unlike the federal emergency subsidies, the $100 million Ontario Tourism Recovery Program (OTRP) is limited and competitive. To qualify, a business must have experienced at least a 50% revenue reduction in years impacted by COVID-19 (i.e., 2020 and 2021) in comparison to 2019 and demonstrate a need for funding.  

Eligible tourism businesses must be operating in one of the following sectors to qualify: 

• Accommodation (e.g., hotels, B&Bs, cottages, campgrounds, resorts, etc.);
• Attractions (e.g., amusement parks, recreational attractions, tours, spas, distilleries, etc.); or
• Transportation (e.g., commercial passenger airlines and motor coaches).

The size of an eligible tourism organization and the extent of its revenue reduction during the pandemic will determine the maximum grant awarded, up to $1 million per business. 

For further information on this new program, see Ontario News Release: Ontario Investing $100 Million to Help Tourism Sector Rebound From COVID-19

To find out how Ryan’s Government Incentives team can help your organization realize the benefit of this one-time recovery program and kickstart the application process, please contact:

Ayesha Raza
Senior Manager, Government Grants
ayesha.raza@ryan.com