About OHTO

OHTO Annual General Meeting

The 2025 Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization’s (OHTO) Annual General Meeting was held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.  

The OHTO Board and staff were joined by operators, industry professionals, and partners from across the region. The meeting served as both a progress report and a strategy session as a chance to align on shared goals, examine results, and take clear next steps for the year ahead.

The 2025-2026 OHTO Board of Directors is looking forward to the term ahead and congratulates new Directors Eric Chaplin (Springwood Cottage Resort), Harsha Manani (Lakeview Motel), and Tim Porter (Tweed & Co.) and returning Directors Barrie Martin (tourism consultant) and Meghan James (Somewhere Inn).

In our Executive Director's report, we outlined how OHTO is working to raise the profile of the region and deliver measurable value to members. Highlights included marketing campaign successes, infrastructure progress through the Eastern Ontario Rail Trail Loop, new web integrations to increase exposure for operators, and continued success of the Ride the Highlands nice program. 

We were inspired by our guest speaker, Johanna Griggs, Executive Director of Tourism Development at Destination Canada through her presentation, "Travel and Tourism: A Powerful Economic and Social Driver for Canada." Johanna's presentation delivered insight into national trends, visitor behaviours, and the long-term potential for regions like Ontario's Highlands.

Watch Johanna’s presentation at the AGM by skipping to timestamp 52:39 by clicking here.

Watch Johanna’s Destination Canada tourism video here.  

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the AGM, and we look forward to seeing you at the 2026 event.

- The OHTO Team  

Watch the recording  |  Download the AGM slide deck

Questions? Get in touch with Kasey Rogerson, Director of Industry Development, at kasey.rogerson@ohto.ca or email info@ohto.ca for general inquiries.

Download the 2025 AGM Delegate Package

This year’s event has an engaging line-up, including:

  • OHTO Board of Directors and Membership Annual General Meeting
  • OHTO Executive Director’s Report  
  • Feature Presentation | Travel & Tourism: A Powerful Economic and Social Driver for Canada by Johanna Griggs, Executive Director, Tourism Development at Destination Canada.

And of course, games and prizes! 

As Executive Director, Tourism Development, Johanna spearheads initiatives that strengthen Canada's tourism supply, foster strategic partnerships across the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors, and promote tourism as a priority sector for the federal government. Prior to Destination Canada, Johanna worked for the Town of Collingwood as a Manager of Economic Development.

Registration for the 2025 OHTO AGM is managed through Eventbrite. 

Recording Disclaimer: The event will be recorded (both visual and audio) through Zoom and in the registration form we do ask for your permission to be featured in our recorded session. If you do not wish to be featured but would like to view and listen to the conference, you can simply turn off your video and stay muted during the conference. Please note that your name may be featured in the recorded session as part of the participant list.

Email Marketing Disclaimer: By registering for this event, you are also signing up to receive future tourism industry emails from OHTO. You can unsubscribe at any time, but we don't think you'll want to! 

Only OHTO Members will be eligible to vote and/or pass motions during the Annual General Meeting and only one person per organization will be able to vote. Not sure if you are a member? Contact membership@ohto.ca to confirm your membership and confirm who holds voting rights for your organization.

Want to Become a Member?

If you are not a member and wish to become one, you can sign up for free here.  

The 2025 AGM is being held virtually and will be facilitated using Zoom.   The Zoom meeting link will be provided following registration, as well as through reminders leading up to the event. Be sure to check your spam folder and reach out to the OHTO team if you don’t receive the meeting link.

If you have not previously used Zoom, we highly recommend you download the app either to your smartphone, tablet, or desktop in advance of the conference to ensure everything loads correctly.  Click here to download Zoom.