Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island Wins at the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence

Windsor, ON – Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is celebrating provincial recognition at the 2026 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence, receiving an award and several nominations for their initiatives that showcase the organization’s commitment to innovative destination marketing, industry collaboration and promoting Windsor Essex.

Presented during the Ontario Tourism Summit, hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), the annual awards celebrate outstanding achievements and contributions to Ontario’s tourism industry.

“Being recognized at the Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence is an incredible honour and a reflection of the creativity, dedication and hard work of our entire team,” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex and Invest WindsorEssex. “These award nominations and wins highlight the strength of our partnerships, from working with municipalities and organizations like Workforce WindsorEssex and the City of Windsor, to collaborating with local businesses and passionate ambassadors like Nina Ngo who help bring the Windsor Essex story to life.”

“Every initiative we undertake is rooted in collaboration and a shared commitment to strengthening our visitor economy. Recognition on a provincial stage reinforces the importance of working together to develop innovative campaigns, celebrate our communities and showcase everything our region has to offer” said Gordon Orr.

Award Winner: Tourism Influencer of the Year

Tourism Windsor Essex proudly nominated local content creator Nina Ngo in recognition of her creativity, authentic storytelling and passion for showcasing Windsor Essex through our 2025 local insider campaign. Each month, Nina introduced audiences to one of the signature Tourism Windsor Essex tourism programs or experiences and demonstrated how it could be used to explore Windsor Essex in a new way. The monthly series generated consistent engagement throughout the year including 190k digital views and profiled over 200 businesses in 14 different programs, keeping tourism experiences top of mind across every season. The videos themselves are now used as an informational tool on landing pages on all tourism program webpages.

“These awards are a reflection of the tremendous work being done by Tourism Windsor Essex to showcase our city and region,” said Drew Dilkens, Mayor of the City of Windsor. “Through creative marketing, strategic partnerships and a commitment to celebrating our local experiences, the tourism team continues to build awareness, support local businesses and encourage visitors to discover Windsor. We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to welcoming tourism leaders to our city in 2028.”

“Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island truly exemplifies what partnership means in our region,” said Mayor Crystal Meloche, Town of LaSalle and Board Chair of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island. “From working alongside municipalities and economic development organizations to collaborating with local businesses, industry partners and content creators, their team consistently brings people together to achieve shared success. This award win and additional nominations well-deserved recognition of their hard work, creativity and commitment to elevating Windsor Essex as a destination.”

“Our approach to destination marketing is about more than creating great campaigns. It’s about developing initiatives that inspire visitation, engage our partners and deliver measurable results,” said Jason Toner, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Tourism Windsor Essex. “Recognition like this reinforces the strength of our marketing strategy and the value of working collaboratively to tell the Windsor Essex story. Each award builds on the momentum of our campaigns, strengthens our destination brand and helps us reach new audiences across Ontario and beyond.”

Tourism Windsor Essex was also announced as a finalist in the following award categories at the 2026 Tourism Awards of Excellence:

• Arts & Culture Award – Streetcar No. 351 with the City of Windsor
• Workforce Innovation & Collaboration Award – Workforce Video Series with Workforce WindsorEssex
• Tourism Marketing Partnership Award – Holiday Gift Guide with the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre, a division of Invest WindsorEssex

Windsor Essex to Host 2028 Ontario Tourism Summit

Adding to the celebration, Tourism Windsor Essex is pleased to announce that Caesars Windsor has been selected to host the Ontario Tourism Summit in October 2028. The announcement represents an exciting opportunity to welcome tourism professionals, destination leaders and industry stakeholders from across Ontario and Canada to experience Windsor Essex firsthand. The summit brings together tourism leaders, destination organizations and industry professionals to exchange ideas, explore emerging trends and build relationships that support the continued growth of tourism across the province.

Hosting the summit will provide an opportunity to showcase the region’s accommodations, culinary experiences, attractions and hospitality, while creating meaningful opportunities for local tourism businesses and stakeholders to connect with provincial industry leaders, exchange ideas and build new partnerships.

“Hosting the Ontario Tourism Summit in 2028 is another tremendous opportunity to put Windsor Essex in the spotlight,” added Gordon Orr. “We look forward to welcoming industry colleagues from across the province and beyond, giving them a firsthand look at the experiences that make our region special while creating valuable opportunities for our local tourism partners to connect, learn and grow.”

For Tourism Windsor Essex, participation in the summit provides valuable opportunities to learn from industry leaders, strengthen provincial partnerships and showcase the work being done to position Windsor Essex as a competitive and welcoming destination.

Photographer assets: click here
Left to right: Jason Toner – Vice President of Marketing and Communications Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, Nina Ngo – Creator @_ninango, Gordon Orr – CEO Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island & Invest WindsorEssex