Released on: January 24, 2008, 8:20 am

Press Release Author: Dennis Irwin

Industry: Marketing

Press Release Summary: The Irwin Inn, an Ontario resort, adapts its current
marketing plan to account for the changing vacation trend that many Ontario resorts
and tourist properties are facing as the Canadian dollar strengthens.

Press Release Body: Lakefield Ontario -- The news is not good for Ontario's tourism
industry and for Ontario's hundreds of resorts, inns, and tourist properties.
According to a new Statistics Canada report, more Canadians than ever before are
choosing to travel to the United States and abroad to spend their hard earned
holiday dollars. Released last Friday, a Statistics Canada report states that in
November 2007, Canadians made a record 2.4 million overnight trips out of the
country, thanks in large part to the strong Canadian dollar, and almost 73 percent
of these trips were to the States. Additionally, in the month of November, the
number of overnight car trips south increased approximately 50 percent from the
previous year, reaching levels not seen since the early nineties. And, if that was
not bad enough, at the same time, fewer Americans are heading north to vacation. In
2007, Canada saw a 13 percent drop in the number of American visitors entering
Canada. However, the news is not entirely bad since the number of overseas visitors
to Canada actually grew by 7.2 percent. As a result of the shift in vacation
trends, Ontario resorts need to re-evaluate their marketing strategies, especially
for their off-season business, if they want to survive.

Over the last few years, there has been a shift in Canada's demographics that
Ontario resort owners should be aware of, if they want to attract Canadian business
to their properties. The tradition of young families returning each and every year
to spend their summer vacations at a resort is slowly dying. One reason this is
occurring is that Canada's population is aging. Another reason is the lure of lower
cost all-inclusive sun and sand vacations vying for Canadian's vacation dollars.

Due to the changing vacation trends that are impacting the Ontario resort and
tourism industry, some organizations within this market are taking a second look at
Canada's growing population of baby boomers and seniors as a way to combat the shift
of vacationers. This segment of the population is a market worth attracting because
they have both the money to spend and the time to spend it. Retirees are free to
travel during the week, and any time of the year, potentially filling rooms during
the off-season and slower periods. Leisure travel among Canada's boomers has
increased by leaps and bounds, and the numbers are expected to grow as Canada's
population ages. Many Ontario resorts have already realized the potential that the
seniors and baby boomer market offers and have moved away from marketing exclusively
to families.

Dennis Irwin, owner of the Irwin Inn (http://www.irwininn.com), a popular full
service Ontario resort, saw the gradual shift in his market begin several years ago
and has tailored the Inn's marketing plans accordingly.

"Along with the traditional family summer vacations with supervised children's
programs and plenty of waterfront activities, we offer a number of attractive year
round packages for couples and seniors to rest and rejuvenate or to experience a
special activity. Although the reasons people visit the Irwin Inn may have changed
over the years, some things have remained constant - the eternal beauty of the lake
and our dedication to ensuring a truly memorable stay," states Irwin.

Ontario inns and resorts have much to offer tourists and vacationers besides
Ontario's natural beauty, abundant lakes, and wilderness areas. In order to compete
with U.S. and overseas vacation destinations, and to get back and retain a good
portion of the vacation dollars that are now leaving the province, resorts owners
will have to proactively attract vacationers by offering them the services and
packages that they demand. Success may simply be a matter of knowing the market and
giving it what it wants.


The Irwin Inn, located in Ontario, Canada's popular Kawartha tourist region, is a
perfect destination for couples getaways, family vacations, and senior's holidays.
For more information on amenities or to book an accommodation, please visit
http://www.irwininn.com or call Dennis Irwin at 1-800-461-6490.



Web Site: http://www.irwininn.com

Contact Details: Contact Information:
Dennis Irwin
Irwin Inn
R.R. 2, Lakefield,
Ontario Canada
K0L 2H0
http://www.irwininn.com
dennisirwin@irwininn.com
1-800-461-6490
(705) 877-2240