In 2017 Frontenac County procured the services of MDB Insight and Terra Consulting to assist in a review of Accommodation and Tourism assets across the Frontenac region and to develop a strategy to increase options of places to stay for visitors and tourists.
Accommodation Review and Strategy for Growth (2017)
Opportunities for Investment
Bed and Breakfast
A bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. Bed and breakfasts are often private family homes and typically have four rooms. A normal bed and breakfast usually has the owner or manager living in the house where the guests stay.
Generally, guests are accommodated in private bedrooms with private bathrooms, or in a suite of rooms including an ensuite bathroom. Some homes have private bedrooms with a bathroom which is shared with other guests. Breakfast is served in the bedroom, a dining room, or the host's kitchen.
While most hotels offer traditional rooms, each bed and breakfast is unique in its architectural style, guest room decor, amenities, and experiences offered. Bed and breakfast styles range from elegant to rustic, and are reflective of our community character and surroundings. Bed and breakfasts can meet the expectations of a visitor seeking a private, hotel-style room, while also providing a unique experience for their guests.
Download the Bed and Breakfast Investment Toolkit
Niche Resort
Niche resort accommodations are self-contained commercial establishments that endeavor to provide a specific vacationer want. The term "resort" refers to getaway experiences and not necessarily defined as hotel properties only. Examples of niche resort accommodations can include farm stays, exercise and heath-oriented retreats, spiritual retreats, nature-based retreats, and hermitage cabins. These accommodations are focused on delivering on-site experiences with basic living amenities (food, water, washroom facilities) for a period of days.
Niche resort accommodations are gaining popularity throughout the world as people become more interested in self-experiences and reconnecting either with themselves, spiritually, or environmentally.
From yoga retreats to nature centres, a few niche resort accommodations are already present in the Frontenac region. However, these resorts are larger in scale. A successful niche resort does not need to have multiple rooms and on-site facilities. Niche resort accommodations can make use of existing features such as farms. Farm stays are a great example of a smaller-scale niche resort that is focused on delivering on-farm experiences to a select number of individuals.
Download the Niche Resort Investment Toolkit
Pod Accommodation
A growing segment of the tourism industry believes that price-conscious travellers will happily stay in tiny spaces as long as they are well designed. In these lodgings, which have been dubbed "pod-based accommodations," space and amenities like staff and restaurants and sometimes even bathrooms and windows are sacrificed in exchange for greatly reduced rates and ramped-up style. Pod-based accommodations have been around Asia for decades but have been slow to materialize in the western world. However, the trend over the past decade in Britain and parts of the United States indicates that it is quickly becoming a requested commodity. In general, pod-based accommodations are well designed for short stays or for people who are not looking to spend much time at their accommodation.
One of the emerging challenges with the Frontenac region is the amount of available one-night-stay accommodations: a harder challenge in the off-season months. Pod-based accommodations can present an alternative choice of accommodation with nature lovers and sports lovers, two of the top tourist profiles in the region. These tourists are often out and about away from their accommodations either cycling, ATVing, snowmobiling or hiking, and are interested in low-rate accommodation options to rest. Across Britain, pod-based accommodations have become part of trail infrastructure. The pods are often located on premises near or around trailheads. The pods have also been located on non-conventional properties like farms, churches, community centres, and libraries.
Download the Pod Accommodation Investment Toolkit
Commercial Cottage Redevelopment
Just a decade or two ago, cottage rental expectations were far less demanding and much more adaptable in terms of what was acceptable in a rental property. At the time, that tourist demographic identified self-sufficiency as the key to enjoying a great family vacation. Television and internet were rare amenities. Tourists focused on creating their own fun. Privately owned cottages are easily and inexpensively advertised on the internet as alternatives to hotels and resorts. They have taken significant market share and upped consumers' overall expectations, which now include plenty of indoor entertainment options, posh beds, round-the-clock access to owners, heating and cooling, broadband, renovated rooms and, in some instances, stocked cupboards and refrigerators. Commercial operators have also faced increased expenses associated with conforming to new regulations.
Over recent years there has been a significant loss of this type of accommodation in Frontenac and there is a need to ensure remaining commercial properties are equipped to meet the expectations of today's visitor.
Download the Commercial Cottage Redevelopment Toolkit
Upscale Camping
Upscale camping or glamping is a luxury camping experience that offers modern facilities and services, such as wi-fi, and is typically aimed at higher income customers who may not typically camp. Popular trends include vacationing in roofed tents, pods, treehouses, tepees, yurts, and cabins.
The domestic market for upscale camping is growing in popularity in part due to the increase in prices of overseas vacations. The Frontenac region has already established itself as a camping destination. Across the area, tourists can camp at Provincial Parks, crown land, conservation grounds, and lakeside properties. In some instances, campgrounds in Frontenac have begun to introduce upscale camping units. The tourism trends illustrate that organizers of several major outdoor festivals are looking for destinations that can offer attendees a variety of camping options, including upscale units. The trends also illustrate that the upscale camping market is expected to continue to grow, particularly in the urban traveller segment.
Download the Upscale Camping Investment Toolkit
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