Experience Development
IGNITE Experiential Training


- Experience how another rural Ontario’s community resources are being leveraged to create new experiences unique to the area
- Participate in experiences with experience providers on a variety of stages in order to identify underutilized cultural and community assets
- Establish new relationships in order to imagine new ways forward
- Learn what guests most want to experience and understand how to present customized experience opportunities
- Learn new methods to make personal connections with each visitor, to create experiences that are inherently personal, engage their senses and makes connections on an emotional, physical and spiritual or intellectual level
- Identify your ideal guests
- Understand the importance of knowing your neighbours- what your regional assets truly are
- Learn the importance of local foods and how to partner with those providers to enhance the experience
- Learn how to use trails and natural assets to your benefit
- Create new themes experiences by linking activities, meals, culture, stages
- Learn to use experiential tourism to differentiate your tourism product in a competitive market
- Appreciate why attention to detail and quality are critical ingredients to success
- Learn the economics of experiences to “up-sell” a visitor and offer a true experience as opposed to simply a bed
- Learn to use storytelling or nature to create memorable experiences
- Learn about the best experience opportunities within our region and ignite the minds of your visitor


- Confident and have a positive outlook towards innovation and growth
- Committed and value the contributions of others and will work with others where it makes sense, expanding their business-to-business connections. Willing to commit to action and participate fully in the follow up conference calls and learning activities
- Caring and are willing to learn new ways of engaging with visitors
- Called and support the vision of growing tourism within the Kawarthas Northumberland region
- Competent and are capable of taking actions resulting in new or enhanced tourism experiences
- Courageous and will report on the level of success of new ventures and share their ideas openly before and after the training
Edge of the Wedge
The Gros Morne Institute for Sustainable Tourism Edge of the Wedge program is Canada’s premier experiential travel training program. Set in the natural splendor of Gros Morne National Park in Newfoundland, Edge of the Wedge is an immersive, hands-on opportunity that will increase your revenue potential, competitive market position, result in new tourism experiences and long-lasting community partnerships. Experiential travel is more than just a consumer trend. Visitors want to be connected to their destination- to understand and experience the local culture and traditions. This is your opportunity to engage travellers in the special places, customs, traditions and stories that are uniquely yours. Authentic experiences are at the heart of connecting visitors with the community. What you will take away from Edge of the Wedge:- A solid understanding of experiential travel, the opportunities, benefits, risks and investment required to succeed
- Immersion in a destination that has made the “shift” to experiential travel and has become a leader
- How to think like a traveller, by engaging in authentic Atlantic Canadian community experiences. You will get the chance to experience the community like a visitor would, meet the operators and hear their stories
- New practices that enable you to dream, design and package memorable travel experiences
- Officially becoming an “Edgie” – A network of alumni of the program who all have an interest in optimizing the potential for experiential travel in their region