By Joanne Rodgers,
Bruce Peninsula Press
At a Special Board Meeting held on 20 August, the Executive Board of the Tobermory and District Chamber of Commerce voted to continue operating the Information Centres in Tobermory and Ferndale until Thanksgiving.
Neda Sarbakhsh, president of the Tobermory Chamber of Commerce says “The board never underestimated the existence and importance of the booths but we thought the Chamber and the information booth are two different entities.” She continues “Our intention was not to close down the information center but to let the municipality run it. We believe that the information center belongs to the whole community and not just the members of the Chamber.”
The Board reviewed their financial situation, the decline in their membership and the decreased numbers of visitors over the past five years to the Information Centers and decided to close the Information Centres after Labour Day weekend instead of being open until Thanksgiving. From 2015 to 2019 there was approximately a 31% decline in visitors to the physical location in Tobermory. Instagram, Google, Tripadviser and AirBnB are the main social media platforms being increasingly used by visitors as a source of tourist information about the Bruce. Reviewing the number of visitors during the past September months for 2015: 3089, 2016: 3037, 2017: 2688, 2018: 2165 and 2019:1648; the numbers were steadily dropping and the Chamber felt their dollars and energy should be used to add better value for their members rather than keeping the Info Centres open past Labour Day.
The Chamber sent a letter to their members indicating that it was time to review their mandate and address how best to serve their members.
The letter also stated “The Board decided to close the office after Labour day weekend and focus our effort on the website and social media. This was not an easy decision but we felt it’s the best option in order to stay relevant to our members and visitors. We plan to take this time to hear from local business owners, and re-focus on what matters most to them.”
On August 11, the Chamber received their annual funding from the municipality to operate the Centres which placed the Chamber in a better financial footing. Sarbakhsh is working with staff to assess their availability to work till Thanksgiving.
The Tobermory and District Chamber of Commerce will present their proposal (available on the Municipality’s website) to Council on 24 August; and at their AGM in October, the Chamber will make the final decision if they should continue managing the Info Centres or pass it on to another entity or the municipality.
