Businesses Compete for $25,000 Tourism Innovation Challenge Grand Prize
February 6, 2026Cornwall, Ontario – Five local businesses will compete in the inaugural Tourism Innovation Challenge at a public pitch competition taking place live on Thursday, February 12th at the Dev Centre. Each business is hoping to win the $25,000 grand prize.
The Tourism Innovation Challenge is an exciting new initiative from the Tourism Development Corporation of Cornwall (TDCC) that is sparking bold, creative solutions which will drive tourism growth and showcase Cornwall as a premier destination in Ontario. The program kicked off in early January with 10 Semi-Finalists taking part in exclusive coaching seminars, hosted in partnership with the Cornwall SDG Business Enterprise Centre (CBEC).
After a full day of Semi-Finals pitching on January 28th, the Top 5 Finalists were selected and are currently receiving personalized one-on-one mentorship from accomplished business professionals. The competition will culminate in a live Pitch Finale where one standout idea will be crowned the winner and awarded the grand prize to bring their tourism innovation to life.
The five businesses selected to pitch include:
- Sip & Scoop Canada (Jehan Shorish)
- Big Ben Ski Centre (Sylvia McDonald & Jack Arnold)
- Drone Sport by Aero Concept Systems (Paul St. Onge)
- Fin & Flow Cornwall (Annette Labonte)
- Cornwall Downtown BIA (Debbie Burns)
“We are so happy to have had such a strong pool of candidates take part in this program. Choosing the Top 5 Finalists was such a hard decision because each of the businesses brought so much to the table and truly show the incredible tourism landscape that Cornwall offers” said Cornwall Tourism Development Fund Acting Chair, Karen Torrie-Racine.
The public event kicks off at 6:30pm on February 12th and is free to attend. Along with the Pitch Competition there will be opportunities to network, hors d’oeuvres, and the crowing of the first ever winner of the Tourism Innovation Challenge. If you wish to attend, you can get your ticket here.
About the Tourism Development Fund
The Tourism Development Fund (TDF) was established in 2019 and is generated from the proceeds of the Municipal Accommodation Tax. It is administered by the Tourism Development Corporation of Cornwall (TDCC), a not-for-profit corporation. Over the past 6 years, the TDF has distributed over $1 million to area businesses and organizations, and in the process has helped the tourism sector grow locally. Intake for grant requests is year-round.
More information is available online at www.CornwallTDF.ca
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