Destination Stratford is celebrating its second consecutive win of a tourism award that celebrates resiliency in the face of challenging times in the tourism industry.
The Ontario Tourism Resiliency Award in the Innovation Winter Category for the 2021 Lights on Stratford Winter Festival of Lights was presented this week.
The award was bestowed at the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) awards ceremony during its annual Ontario Tourism Summit.
The award criteria included a venture that:
• directly benefited the tourism sector and/or the community;
• had a positive impact on the quality of life in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic;
• positively impacted others in the community outside of the organization; and
• considered and implemented diversity, equity and inclusion.
The recognition provided by winning the award for the second straight year speaks to the success of the Lights On Stratford project, Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson said in a news release. “The staff of Destination Stratford deserve this well-earned award for their strategic vision, commitment and exceptional execution of this project. It couldn’t have happened without the generous project sponsors and we owe them our gratitude.”
“It takes a village to raise a lights festival,” said Zac Gribble, executive director of Destination Stratford. “Stratford is an inspired, creative and resilient community, and this award really belongs to everyone here who helped our destination navigate the last three years.”
Sponsors and partners of Lights on Stratford include the City of Stratford, investStratford, Downtown Stratford BIA, RTO4, Stratford Festival, the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario, and the Reconnect Festivals and Events Program of the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.
Earlier this month, Destination Stratford also won the 2022 Business Excellence Award for the Innovation Category at the Stratford & District Chamber of Commerce for the 2021 Lights on Stratford Winter Festival of Lights.
The 3rd annual Lights On Stratford – with this year’s theme of REKINDLE – is set to launch on Dec. 16 and runs through Jan. 27.
Visit the website for more details.