New COVID relief grants aimed at local tourism-dependent businesses

‘This fiscal support will let tourism operators to protect some of the surprising charges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic,’ suggests mayor

Information Launch
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Town OF ORILLIA
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The City of Orillia, in collaboration with Grey County, Simcoe County, and the City of Barrie, and with advice and oversight from the Regional Tourism Corporation 7 (RTO7), will be administering non-repayable monetary guidance ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 to smaller to medium-sized tourism enterprises in Orillia, Barrie, and Gray and Simcoe counties influenced by COVID-19.  

“Tourism is an vital economic driver for our metropolis and the area,” explained Mayor Steve Clarke. “This fiscal help will permit tourism operators to include some of the surprising charges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and will also enable them change their small business styles to address the ever-modifying tourism landscape.”  

Funding will support offset the higher value of maintaining travellers and staff members protected though adapting to the altering wellness and protection requirements within just the tourism market through COVID-19.  Examples involve the addition or enlargement of patios at restaurants, plexiglass boundaries at counters or concerning tables, touchless payment programs, reservation devices, sanitization stations, COVID-19 sanitizer fogging equipment, and so on.  

Smaller to medium-sized enterprises (1 to 99 staff) and not-for-gain enterprises, which fulfill the tourism operator standards, can apply for funding. Businesses that are owned, managed, led, or serviced by less than-represented teams Indigenous, Females, Francophone, Youth, Persons with Disabilities, Newcomers to Canada, Seen Minorities, and LGBTQ2+ are inspired to utilize.  

Tourism operators are outlined as a person of the next:  

  • Accommodation (accommodations, motels, resorts, campgrounds and recreational vehicle facilities)
  
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  • Recreation and enjoyment (zoos, museums, theatres, sports amenities, amusement parks, federal government parks, heritage web-sites, looking, fishing or outside experience outfitters, casinos)
  
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  • Food stuff and beverage products and services (dining places from fast support to fine dining, as effectively as pubs, nightclubs, cruise ships and convention centres)
  
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  • Journey services (retail vacation agencies, wholesale tour providers, corporate workplaces with their personal booking divisions)
  
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  • Transportation (corporations that deliver transportation by air, land or water, and incorporate airlines, bus firms, taxi organizations, ferry services and cruise ships)
 
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  • Not-for-earnings enterprises and Indigenous corporations/communities that help tourists

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  • Retail merchants closely dependent on tourism could also be considered

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Apps will be acknowledged until finally Jan. 31, 2021. RTO7, in collaboration with the counties of Gray and Simcoe and the cities of Barrie and Orillia, will evaluate all submissions. Firms can study additional about the eligibility requirements and download the software form on the RTO7 web page at RTO7.ca.  

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