THUNDER BAY — The manager of Tourism Thunder Bay has been honoured by his colleagues across Northern Ontario for the work he's done to promote the city and region as a destination for visitors.
Paul Pepe received an Industry Leader of the Year Award at last week's Northern Ontario Tourism Summit, held in North Bay.
The annual event brings together tourism businesses, organizations, suppliers and government representatives to network, discuss industry challenges and find solutions.
Pepe's award was for attracting investments in tourism.
"It was a complete surprise to be awarded this honour...and I’m humbled by the recognition from my industry peers," he said in a social media post.
"It’s an award I share with my team and my CEDC coworkers who all support my oddball style and ideas and who all work so hard to make good things happen for our destination."
In an interview Monday, Pepe cited the efforts made in recent years to promote the cruise shipping industry.
"That's part of the international travel trade. It's investments that we've made collectively, it's part of a community collaborative to raise awareness of Thunder Bay as a destination to build those partnerships with the global cruise industry...Being aligned with the international travel trade certainly helps stimulate new interest in the community, and that can help drive future investment that we are starting to see."
He added that the work the Community Economic Development Commission has been doing to support destination tourism with the city's tourism development fund, by reinvesting the collected hotel taxes, is also considered a best practice among Ontario municipalities
The CEDC posted its own congratulatory statement about Pepe on social media.
"Paul’s visionary leadership and dedication have played a pivotal role in attracting investment and elevating Thunder Bay as a premier destination. His commitment to the CEDC team and to innovation is truly inspiring, and this well-deserved recognition reflects his hard work and passion for our community," it said.
Next year's Northern Ontario Tourism Summit will take place in Thunder Bay over three days.
Hundreds of delegates are expected to attend.
