Attractions Ontario

What Attractions Ontario does

Attractions Ontario is a Toronto-based membership association founded in 1983 that operates as the provincial trade body for Ontario's attractions sector, currently employing 1-10 staff. The organization serves three member segments: Full Attraction Members (tiered on annual attendance, with dues ranging from $195 for sub-15,000 visitors to $1,560 for sites exceeding 1,000,000 visitors), DMO/RTO Members at $780 per year, and Affiliate Members at $585 per year, with over 700 listings across 17 categories including arts and culture, historic sites, amusements, accommodations, tours, and zoos.

The core product surface consists of a WordPress-based listing directory at attractionsontario.ca, the annual Passport Magazine and Coupon Book distributed at 200k printed copies and 2M+ digital copies, the Are We There Yet? Field Trip Planner distributed to 53 Ontario school boards, and the consumer-voted Ontario's Choice Awards. Supporting programs include a Reciprocal Admissions Program (with over half of members participating in 2024), influencer marketing with partial funding, an events calendar, and a Holiday Gift Guide. The organization also operates the recently launched Canadian Attractions Network for national policy advocacy.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual membership dues, with additional income from advertising in the Field Trip Planner, sponsored awards programs, and workshop revenue. Distribution to consumers flows through the website, the magazine, and partnerships with transportation providers (Porter Airlines, VIA Rail, Metrolinx) and 13 Regional Tourism Organizations. The technology stack is conventional WordPress with no disclosed proprietary systems, APIs, or AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Attractions Ontario

Legal name

Attractions Ontario

Website

https://attractionsontario.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Attractions Ontario is a Toronto-based membership association founded in 1983 that represents over 700 Ontario attractions, DMOs, and tourism suppliers through tiered annual dues, a WordPress directory platform, the annual Passport Magazine, and consumer marketing programs including Ontario's Choice Awards and a school-board Field Trip Planner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tourism Marketing Association Services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Amusement and Theme Parks (71311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Permitting, Reservations & Visitor Information Services (Passes, Booking, Visitor Centers) (THAAAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

Keywords

• Tourism Marketing Association
• Attraction Membership Services
• Travel Industry Advocacy
• Destination Marketing Platform
• Tourism Listings Directory

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees based on attraction attendance figures. Tiers range from Under 15,000 visitors ($195) to Over 1,000,000 visitors ($1,560). Also includes DMO/RTO membership at $780/year and Affiliate membership at $585/year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Attractions Ontario is a membership-based tourism marketing association that sells annual memberships to Ontario attractions, Destination Marketing Organizations (DMOs), Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs), and tourism-related affiliates. Members receive marketing exposure through a WordPress-powered online directory, an annual print and digital Passport Magazine and Coupon Book, industry advocacy, networking events, influencer marketing access, and a reciprocal admissions program. The association also publishes curriculum-based educational materials and runs consumer-voted awards to drive visitation to member venues.

Product overview

Attractions Ontario operates as a membership-based tourism marketing association offering a unified platform of products and services. The core offering consists of the Attractions Ontario Website (an online directory and marketing platform), the annual Passport Magazine and Coupon Book (with 200k print and 2M+ digital distribution), and the Field Trip Planner for Educators. These are complemented by the Ontario's Choice Awards, Holiday Gift Guide, Virtual Tours, Workshops, and Reciprocal Admissions Program. The organization advocates for the industry through the Canadian Attractions Network. All attractions listed are paid members, and membership tiers include Full Attraction Members (with dues based on annual attendance), DMO/RTO Members ($780/year), and Affiliate Members ($585/year).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ontario's Choice Awards: Annual awards program where consumers vote for their favorite Ontario attractions
• Passport Magazine and Coupon Book
• Are We There Yet? Field Trip Planner

Products and services

• Passport Magazine and Coupon Book Annual full-colour consumer magazine featuring regional listings of Ontario member attractions with coupon savings, distributed as 200k printed copies and over 2 million digital copies. Sold to members as part of the marketing package and consumed free by travellers planning Ontario vacations.
• Attractions Ontario Website Directory Online tourism platform providing free listings for 700+ member attractions, searchable by region and category, with event listings, coupons, and destination guides. Targets Ontario residents and tourists discovering Ontario destinations.
• Are We There Yet? Ontario's Field Trip Planner for Educators Province-wide curriculum-based educational publication distributed to teachers and youth group leaders across Ontario through 53 school boards; available in print and digital formats. Targets educators planning curriculum-aligned field trips.
• Ontario's Choice Awards Annual consumer-voted awards celebrating Ontario attractions across multiple categories; free to participate for members with promotional opportunities. Drives consumer engagement and recognition for member attractions.
• Reciprocal Admissions Program Province-wide reciprocal admissions program allowing member attraction staff to visit other member venues at complimentary or reduced rates, with over half of membership participating in 2024.
• Canadian Attractions Network Network dedicated to fostering resilience within the attractions sector through policy advocacy and strategic alliances.
• Holiday Gift Guide Seasonal marketing program offering free listings for member attractions and promotional opportunities during the holiday season.
• Virtual Tours & Online Collections Digital content offerings featuring virtual tours and online collections from member attractions.
• Workshops Educational sessions offered to members as part of the annual conference and professional development program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200k printed copies and over 2 million digital copies of Passport Magazine distributed annually

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttractions Ontario works closely with TIAO, the umbrella organization for leading associations, DMOs, and RTOs serving Ontario's tourism industry. TIAO collectively represents thousands of businesses dedicated to promoting and operating Ontario's tourism industry.
• Canadian Attractions NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecently established network dedicated to fostering resilience within the attractions sector with focus on policy advocacy and strategic alliances.
• Porter AirlinesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a transportation partner under Getting Around section of the website
• VIA RailminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a transportation partner under Getting Around section of the website
• MetrolinxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a transportation partner under Getting Around section of the website

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Visit California: State-level destination marketing organization promoting California tourism. Highly comparable DMO/association model with broad attraction coverage, but operates across the US-Canada border and at much larger scale.
• Tourism Vancouver: Regional destination marketing organization for Vancouver and surrounding area. Operates a comparable DMO model with member-based stakeholder engagement but serves a different Canadian city-region rather than Ontario.

Broad incumbents

• Destination Ontario: Government-backed provincial Destination Marketing Organization responsible for promoting Ontario as a travel destination. Comparable marketing-mandate role to Attractions Ontario but operates at full province scale with public-sector funding.
• Tripadvisor: Global consumer travel platform with extensive attraction listings, reviews, and booking. Operates as a broader incumbent in attraction discovery that competes with Attractions Ontario's directory function for consumer mindshare.
• Destination Canada (Canadian Tourism Commission): National Crown corporation marketing Canada to international visitors. Operates in the same destination-promotion space as Attractions Ontario but at a much larger geographic scope and budget.
• World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC): Global industry council representing the travel and tourism sector with policy advocacy and research focus. Comparable industry-representation role but at a far larger scale and broader sector scope than Attractions Ontario.

Direct peers

• Canadian Attractions Network: Sector-specific Canadian network dedicated to fostering resilience within the attractions sector through policy advocacy and strategic alliances. Co-founded with Attractions Ontario and offers a national-level analog to its provincial mission.
• Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO): Ontario's umbrella tourism industry association representing businesses, DMOs, and RTOs. Directly comparable membership-association model focused on Ontario tourism advocacy and policy representation; Attractions Ontario is also a close working partner of TIAO.
• IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions): Global attractions industry association providing advocacy, networking, and education to amusement parks and attractions worldwide. Closest functional analog to Attractions Ontario's industry-association role, but operating at global rather than provincial scale.

Emerging players

• Viator: Online marketplace for tours, attractions, and experiences with global bookable inventory. Competes with Attractions Ontario's member-discovery model by offering direct booking functionality that a directory-only platform cannot match.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/attractions-ontario

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Attractions Ontario