Main photo (from left): Rich Trenholm, TriMuskoka; Scott Doughty, member of HMATA board; Kerri Vallentin, Huntsville Girls Hockey Association; John Cowan, OFSAA Nordic Ski Championships; Rob Horton, Band on the Run; Karin Terziano, Mayor of Huntsville and HMATA board member; and Jesse Hamilton, chair of HMATA board (supplied)
Submitted by the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association
The Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association (HMATA) has partnered with 11 local organizations and recently approved $233,000 in funding through their new partnership program announced in December.
“The goal of this program is to engage organizations, with new and existing initiatives, that are well positioned to grow overnight visits in the town of Huntsville,” explained Jesse Hamilton, chair of HMATA. “This program provides us the opportunity to support organizations that are positively impacting tourism, while at the same time leveraging these tax dollars to rive [sic]occupancy and increase funding for partnerships in the future. As we expected, most of the funding went to local organizations and all of it will result in great things happening here in Huntsville.”
The following organizations will be entering into agreements with HMATA in the next thirty days and with the support of these funds will be marketing the Town of Huntsville as part of their unique events, activities, and programs in 2020:
- Huntsville Girls Hockey Association
- TriMuskoka Triathlon Club
- Explorer’s Edge (RTO12)
- Huntsville Festival of the Arts
- Muskoka Hornets Baseball Association
- FITT Events (Band on the Run)
- Ontario Museum Association
- Paradigm Events (Retreat to Nature Wellness Initiative)
- OFSAA Nordic Ski Championships
The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce and the Huntsville Downtown BIA also received funding to develop shoulder-season initiatives and marketing programs.
With the first intake now complete, HMATA will continue their work on a greater tourism plan, with numerous stakeholders in Huntsville, and will also start to consider the timing for their next round of funding.
“We are excited about this first milestone for HMATA and have already seen that these partnerships will strongly support our goal of increasing year-round occupancy, and ensuring a positive economic impact in Huntsville,” says Hamilton. “We’re looking forward to working with these organizations to foster growth in our community.”
The Municipal Accommodation Tax is a three-year pilot project in Huntsville, Ontario. The tax is currently charged on short-term accommodations in the municipality. Accommodation providers such as hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfast establishments are required to charge the fee and remit to the Town of Huntsville through the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association. Currently, private cottage rentals are not applying the tax, but the Town of Huntsville is preparing to permit and collect from private cottage rental businesses such as Airbnb, VRBO and local businesses such as CottageVacations.com and Ontario Cottage Rentals Inc.
For more information about the Huntsville Municipal Accommodation Tax Association, email [email protected], or call 705-788-5847.
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Jocelyn Knox says
How were these groups awarded the partnership with HMATA? Was there an application process?
Dawn Huddlestone says
Hi Jocelyn,
Yes, there was an application process in the fall. You can read more about that here: https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/partnership-program-will-provide-accommodation-tax-funds-for-tourism-initiatives/
Doug Austin says
Hmmm… Just wondering if the Portage Flyer would qualify, its currently owned by the Town and draws people from all over the world. I’m one of the Conductors on the train and each year I’ve met people from England, Germany, Switzerland, Peru, Spain, Norway, China, Japan,… etc. 2018 saw well over 9,000 riders and this Christmas 2019, we topped over 1,200 in just one evening. … There is a 2nd steam engine that needs a major repair and maybe, there could be a partnership with the Tom Thompson boat Cruise.
When talking to folks, I try to promote both attractions and any other I can in Town and Muskoka.
… Just a thought.
Rob Millman says
Just off the top of my head…no hair there, lots of escape room for ideas…what happened to The Limberlost Challenge and The Huntsville Loppet?
Jocelyn Knox says
Thank you Dawn.
brian tapley says
The big Muskoka Loppet, the one that ran from Port Sydney to Hidden Valley, it died a death due to sponsorship and liability issues.
There was a huge risk of financial loss if it had to be canceled due to weather and we lost our corporate sponsor so the group of resorts that used to run it regrettably had to back off and cancel the whole thing.
The current “loppets” are a small image of the original. One at Arrowhead benefits from Provincial support of the park. I don’t know how the Limberlost one operated.
I don’t think any of them ever did or will actually make any money directly. They all are a PR event to boost other activities that might make some money.