Working on upgrades at the Chatham water tower. (Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent)Working on upgrades at the Chatham water tower. (Photo courtesy of the Municipality of Chatham-Kent)
Chatham

Attracting FINA Attendees To CK

Although the FINA World Swimming Championships are being held in Windsor, Municipality officials are hoping to see an increase in tourism locally.

The Municipality's Supervisor of Tourism Development Shannon Paiva says seeing that Chatham-Kent is only a 45 minute drive down Hwy. 401, it's very possible for people to make the trip.

"When they (tourists) come to Chatham-Kent I find that what they're trying to do is look for something a bit different," says Paiva. "It depends on the age group, the demographic, and that sort of thing."

She adds, since most - if not all rooms are sold-out in Windsor, there are options available in CK.

"We could actually see a trickle effect in Chatham-Kent," she says.

"They may actually decide to come this way because we are just really up the road."

Gaining attraction from neighboring events is not new for the municipality, in fact Paiva says it's a common practice.

"We actually really work very closely with tourism Windsor-Essex, Pelee Island, [and London] in giving them the information we have," says Paiva. "And likewise for them so that they can pass the information to us when we have something in town."

However, when a neighboring city loses a bid for an event like the 2019 World Juniors, it comes as a disappointment.

"We always like to see our neighbors (London and Windsor) achieve such incredible opportunities," says Paiva. "They both put forward an incredible effort working so hard."

-With files from Matt Weverink.

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