There’s a reason that people from across Canada and around the world come to experience Kingston in the summer and with the city entering Stage 3 of the province’s reopening plan, it is the perfect time for Kingstonians to not only rediscover their own backyard but also help out some of their friends and neighbours working in local tourism businesses that have been hit hard by the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson did just that when he took some time off with his family recently to be a tourist in the city. He and his family enjoyed the waterfront, sampled some of the city’s many restaurants and took the time to rediscover parts of Kingston that local residents sometimes take for granted.
“Sometimes you don’t realize what’s right under your nose and that you don’t have to travel hours and hours to have a great experience,” said Paterson, who cited the Kingston Penitentiary tour and Fort Henry as examples of tourism experiences that locals often overlook and yet are rewarding and enriching places to visit.
Hugh Mackenzie, the general manager of Kingston Destination Group, a company that runs some of the city’s most iconic tourist attractions like 1000 Islands Cruises and Kingston Trolley Tours, had a similar revelation while joining the province’s tourism minister in a tour of the city recently.
“Never take for granted the ways of looking at your own community,” he said. “When you do a tour and have things pointed out to you that you would never have thought about your town, you just see the immense richness of our town. Here I am, the manager of the largest tourism enterprise in Kingston, and I learned stuff last night going on the trolley tour.”
Mackenzie said they have tweaked many of their tourism offerings to encourage Kingstonians to break out of their lockdown routines to not only shop local, but experience local. For example, they’ve signed former Canadian Ambassador to the United States, Arthur Milnes, to lead one-hour walking tours with Kingston Walks. Mackenzie says that Milnes is an exceptional storyteller who recounts little-known anecdotes about the city that really bring local history to life.
They’ve also transformed their 1,000 Island Cruises itineraries and are now offering one-hour waterfront cruises on the Island Queen, which Mackenize likens to a city walking tour, but on the water. The cruises place a special emphasis on storytelling that will educate and inform regional visitors and locals alike. In the evening, the ship sets sail on a 90-minute cocktail cruise that features spectacular sunset views and live entertainment.
“When you’re out in the Kingston harbour in the late afternoon, it’s just a beautiful sun-baked scene that I think is one of the most iconic in the whole country,” said Mackenize. “It’s as good as the Rocky Mountains or as good as looking at Quebec City from the water. It’s a spectacular view.”
For those who want to recreate the dining-cruise experience on the Island Star, Mackenzie said that the ship is still serving meals while docked in the Kingston Harbour on what could be the city’s largest floating patio.
Jax Harripersad, manager of The Haunted Walk in Kingston, is also encouraging local residents to see their city in a new light.
“It’s time to get the people of Kingston to come out and join us on the tours because all the time you hear people say, ‘I’ve lived here for 25 years and I’ve never been on a haunted walk.’ To them, we say ‘come join us’… it’s a great way to see the city in a new way.”
Another way area residents can see the city with new eyes is to take advantage of the many staycation deals that are being offered by the city’s hotels. An example of one of the rest-and-relaxation packages available is that of the Ambassador Hotel, which has teamed up with Cher-Mère Spa to offer a night in one of the hotel’s luxurious rooms paired with a Cher-Mère spa-in-a-box for $179 per night, with wifi and parking included.
There are also family deals available, like the Beat-the-Heat package from the Courtyard Marriot that lets everyone enjoy a dip in the hotel’s indoor pool. The special offer includes a cold treat for each child at arrival, along with free parking and wifi, all for $129 per night.
There are also staycation packages for golfers, beer-lovers and other special interests, so Kingstonians are encouraged to check out everything available on the Visit Kingston website.
“This time of year in Kingston, we would be ordinarily welcoming visitors from across the province, the country and around the world, but clearly that’s not happening this year,” said Mayor Paterson, “So we’re really encouraging people to come out and be tourists in their own town. This is one of those moments where we need to pull together to help support these tourism operators and the industry that is a key part of the identity of Kingston.”
This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of Visit Kingston.
