It’s not a new story.

When it comes to marketing the region’s attractions, we often can’t see the forest for the trees. That’s too bad for it’s a very nice forest.

The trees are nice too, but why not get visitors to check out other trees, while they are in the area?

Come for the trees but stay for the forest.

The region is missing out on tourism dollars because it lacks a cohesive strategy for bringing tourists here, and convincing them it’s worth their time to not only take in a specific event, such as Kempenfest in Barrie, but also other attractions, like Orillia’s Opera House or Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene.

That’s the message tourism consultant Robert Wong gave the region’s tourism operators recently. If the region wants to get noticed by tourists, and tourism-related publications like travel sections of large newspapers, municipalities have to coordinate their marketing.

His comments referred to a report on the Lake Simcoe assessment area, but they speak to the entire county. The territorial approach, in which a community markets its attractions, often competing with a neighbouring community, is limiting the growth of tourism in the region.

Tourism operators were asked to consider why the region gets so little mention in travel sections and magazines. It’s a good question. The county has much to offer visitors. Just consider the range of experiences.

There’s boating and beaches on Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay. There’s the Alliston Potato Festival and the Wye Marsh. There’s the Barrie Jazz and Blues Festival, the Elvis Festival in Collingwood, and now the Beatles Festival in Orillia.

There’s skiing in the winter and cross-country biking in the summer. Simcoe County is a four-season destination, yet how many people outside its borders consider this?

The region doesn’t have the tourism profile it should have. Why not? Part of the answer has to be in marketing.

Tourism operators, including local tourism officials, need to work together to create linkages to the variety of experiences available in Simcoe County. Create a big-picture strategic vision for the region, which includes specifics about individual events.

Then, go on the road with that plan and sell it. Present the big tourism publications with a dynamic, connected tourism vision for the county, and its individual parts.

With the GTA, the region has one of North America’s largest population zones on its doorstep. The county is a natural destination for the residents of that megalopolis. It’s a massive opportunity, not only for the tourism industry but the entire region.