About Tourism Burlington
Tourism Burlington is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
Vision: Burlington is growing in the right direction and is well-positioned to thrive now and into the future. We are committed to facilitating positive and lasting change through tourism that benefits everyone who visits, works in, and calls Burlington home.
Mission: Our mission is to facilitate values-driven and sustainable tourism for Burlington through leadership, partnership, and collaboration.
Structure: Originally a Visitor Information Centre managed by the Burlington Chamber of Commerce in the mid-1980s, Tourism Burlington is a not-for-profit incorporated business governed by a 10-member volunteer Board of Directors elected each year at an Annual General Meeting. Our staff currently consists of 3 full-time personnel and several weekend and seasonal travel counsellors. The Visitor Centre is also supported by part-time volunteer travel counsellors and student coop placements.
Funding: Tourism Burlington’s annual budget consists of $435,000 from the City of Burlington and approximately $1,000,000 from the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) which is a 4% tax charged to hotel visitors collected through our hotel partners that was introduced in October 2022. This amount fluctuates based on monthly hotel occupancy. Other sources of funding can include grants from various levels of government for specific projects and profits from souvenir sales.
Core Service Areas:
- Destination Marketing
- Destination Management
- Visitor Information Services
- Partner & Industry Support Services
Key Markets:
- Leisure Travel – Events/Visiting Friends & Relatives
- Meetings, Conventions & Incentive Travel
- Group Sales
- Sports Tourism
- Public Relations
Visitor Information Centre
The Visitor Information Centre is located at 414 Locust St. below the parking garage, just north of Lakeshore Road. The centre will be open from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 am to 4 pm. It offers extensive travel information about Burlington and Ontario. Tourism Burlington also provides assistance and resource information for meeting and conference planners, sports organizers, and group travel. If you would like information about Burlington, please contact us.
Looking for the perfect gift or memento? Look no further than the Tourism Burlington Visitors Centre – we carry a selection of Burlington, postcards, books, maps, Canadian gifts, and more!
Team Burlington
Team Burlington has undertaken a number of successful initiatives, including developing a standard brand image that captures the characteristics of what Burlington has to offer. Beyond its borders, Team Burlington is revered as one of the reasons that the community is seen as a “leading edge”. The American Planning Association and the Economic Development Council of Ontario have recognized the Team as a best practice and the one-stop-shop image for investors to project a cohesive and thriving business community.
Driving Economic Growth & Visitor Experience Together
Tourism Burlington and Burlington Economic Development have been working closely over the last year to align on several key business areas including strategic planning, service delivery, and joint marketing and communications. In September 2023, both organizations signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) which set out a framework to discuss these opportunities.
With the ongoing support and feedback from City leadership and Council, both organizations have mutually agreed to merge under the governance of a single Board of Directors, and a motion was brought forward at the March 4, 2024 Committee of the Whole meeting (agenda found here).
First and foremost, this decision speaks to the strong commitment on both sides to ensure Burlington is positioned for sustainable economic growth and promoting tourism in our city.
Enhanced collaboration, a unified brand, streamlined processes, strategic alignment and an enhanced visitor experience as just some of the benefits.
Board of Directors
Maureen Healey – Executive Director, Tourism Burlington
Kelvin Galbraith – Chair, City Council Representative
Ward 1 Councillor
Shelly Datseris – Vice Chair
Conservation Halton
Rahul Sharma – Treasurer
Jetport
Stephen Bell – Director
Pepperwood Bistro
Kaleigh Renton – Director
Burlington Resident/Westjet
Kim Viney – Director
Royal Botanical Gardens
Marilyn Butkovic – Director
Waterfront Hotel
Employment Opportunities
At this time, there are no job openings.