Tourism Relief Fund - RTO4 Program Launch

Intake for the RTO4 – Tourism Relief Fund is now closed, and the review process has begun. We received 111 applications asking for a total of $8M and are oversubscribed. The applications are being reviewed by an external review panel and successful applicants can expect to be notified in June.

Tourism Relief Fund – RTO4 Program Launch

On April 6, Regional Tourism Organization 4 (RTO4) received a non-repayable contribution of $5 million from the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), to deliver the Tourism Relief Fund to tourism businesses in in Waterloo, Wellington, Huron and Perth Counties. This investment will help tourism businesses and communities safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth.

RTO4 will provide non-repayable contributions between $20,000 to $100,000 for up to 50% of eligible costs for for-profit businesses and up to 100% of eligible costs for not-for-profit organizations and municipalities. For larger projects, we invite you to apply directly with FedDev Ontario.

More information including eligibility, selection criteria and the application process can be found in the Application Guide.

Applicants are allowed to submit one application only. If you have multiple ideas, we recommend you combine your projects into an umbrella project with multiple components and outline each clearly in your project description.

Please check the eligibility criteria prior to applying. We look forward to receiving your application.

For questions or to discuss your application email tourism.relief@rto4.ca.

APPLICATIONS DUE – May 15th, 2022 at 11:59 PM.

RTO4 is proud to work in partnership with Indigenous Tourism Ontario (ITO) to deliver the Tourism Relief Fund in support of Indigenous tourism in southern Ontario.

If your business or organization is 51% or more Indigenous-owned and controlled, please visit ITO’s Tourism Relief Fund webpage to apply and access additional program support. As the recognized voice for Indigenous tourism in Ontario, ITO’s program is customized to the needs of Indigenous communities, organizations and businesses. Together, ITO and RTO4 will work together to support the growth of Indigenous tourism in Waterloo, Wellington, Huron and Perth Counties.