THE OPPORTUNITY:
Hastings County identified an opportunity to support local tourism operators in developing new experiences that extend visitation beyond peak season. BC Hughes was engaged to deliver a Winter & Shoulder Season Experience Development Workshop, aimed at building capacity and inspiring operators to create compelling, off-season tourism offerings.
THE PROCESS:
The BC Hughes team delivered an interactive workshop designed to introduce the principles of experiential tourism and spark new ideas tailored to winter and shoulder-season opportunities. The session brought together a mix of operators, including accommodations, culinary, and agritourism businesses, and encouraged peer-to-peer collaboration and idea sharing.
Participants explored experience development concepts, discussed challenges and opportunities, and worked through initial ideas with input from both peers and facilitators.
Follow-up coaching sessions were provided to help participants further refine and advance their concepts.
THE OUTCOME:
The training actively engaged participants, encouraging them to contribute ideas and collaborate. Participants developed a stronger understanding of experiential tourism and were provided with practical inspiration to develop new or enhanced off-season offerings.
Following group training, participants were able to move their ideas forward through one-on-one meetings with BC Hughes team members. Overall, the workshop successfully built awareness, sparked new thinking, and supported operators in identifying opportunities to grow winter and shoulder-season tourism in Hastings County.
