Summer tourism destination to get new shuttle service in Ontario

Ontario’s largest summer tourist destination is getting a major transit expansion.

According to a press release from Explorers’ Edge, a sprawling tourism organization that covers Ontario’s lake country in the Muskokas and beyond, their in-season shuttle partnership with Flixbus is getting a massive expansion this summer.

This expansion, according to representatives, has been purpose-built to connect major hubs in southern Ontario to the ever-expanding towns and municipalities nestled in some of Canada’s most beautiful natural wilderness.

The expansion will establish major connecting bus services between Toronto Union Station, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, South River and North Bay, while also adding Parry Sound Municipal Airport to the existing Sudbury route, according to Explorer’s Edge.

This new service has many within the Ontario tourism sector excited, as while Canada is experiencing a current boom in domestic tourism, travel costs of any variety still remain high and hard to access.

“Improved transportation access is critical if we want more visitors to experience the region in a way that is practical, welcoming and connected,” said Brent Ellerson, Marketing Manager at Algonquin Outfitters and Vice Chair of Explorers’ Edge, in a statement. “For a traveller arriving without a vehicle, or for someone looking for a more affordable way to explore Ontario, the ability to connect bus service with outdoor experiences, accommodations and local businesses can make the difference between interest and action.”

Exploer’s Edge further relayed that for domestic and international travellers arriving through Toronto and Pearson Airport, the new service will work in tandem with regional partners to move visitors directly from the bus route into outdoor experiences, accommodations, downtowns, attractions and communities throughout the area.

This blitz of new routes also connects to the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario’s new playbook for boosting tourism in the province, with overhauled transportation infrastructure as a key component of stimulating local tourism economies.

“When regions connect transportation infrastructure with product development, visitor dispersal, workforce access and local business participation, they are helping bring Ontario’s tourism strategy to life,” said Andrew Siegwart, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, in a statement.

Flixbus services through Explorer’s Edge are launching this summer.