Credit: Ian McMillan
Ian McMillan never intended to work in the travel and tourism industry. After graduating with a degree in public relations, he had his heart set on working for a professional sports franchise in its communications department.
But he was drawn into the tourism world early on, when he worked part time at a hotel in high school—and again when he worked for the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, a major tourist attraction in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
“Once I got a taste of the travel industry, I quickly realized it was the greatest industry in the world,” McMillan said to Group Tour. “It provided me the opportunity to work with some amazing people and travel the world.”
After promoting the outdoors and fishing lodges for a regional tourism organization for two decades, McMillan was tapped to start up Tourism Sault Ste. Marie. Eighteen years later, he became the international marketing specialist for Destination Northern Ontario—a position McMillan still holds today.
Q. What’s your favorite part of working for Destination Northern Ontario?
A. I would have to say that my favorite part of working with Destination Northern Ontario is having the privilege of promoting the place where I have lived all my life and the ability to share this with people from around the world.
Q. What are some top group tourism destinations in the region?
A. One of the most popular attractions is the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, which is a unique rail excursion leaving Sault Ste. Marie daily from July through mid-October. This 228-mile round-trip ride takes visitors along the shore of Lake Superior, through the rugged Cambrian Shield, and has a 90-minute stopover in a wilderness park.
Other attractions include one of Canada’s largest science centers, Science North, located in Sudbury; Fort William Historic Park, which is the world’s largest re-creation of a Fur Trade Post, located in Thunder Bay; and the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, located in an actual airplane hangar with dozens of planes, telling the history of float planes and aerial firefighting.
Of course, the history and culture of Northern Ontario is anchored by our First Nations Communities. Wiikwemkoong First Nation is located on Manitoulin Island, which is the world’s largest freshwater island. A rich Indigenous experience here includes drumming/dancing, traditional foods cooked on an open fire, nature hikes and canoe trips, along with teachings at the Ojibway Cultural Centre, including bead work, skin tanning, and porcupine quill work.
A hidden gem in Northern Ontario is the Polar Bear Habitat, located in Cochrane. This research facility provides visitors a chance to see the majestic polar bears up close in their natural habitat.
Q. What might you say to a tour planner to promote Northern Ontario?
A. I would point out that even though Northern Ontario is a vast land mass, it is linked with great highway corridors that have enabled us to develop a series of “Touring Routes,” which link communities, attractions, and experiences along the way. This makes it easy to develop tailor-made itineraries to fit their customers’ interests.
Q. Are there any upcoming events or openings in the region that planners should be aware of?
A. Dynamic Earth, which is a sister attraction to Science North in Sudbury, is doing a grand reopening after undergoing a $30 million upgrade. This attraction gives visitors a chance to go underground and experience mining, using new virtual technology.
Q. Is there anything else you’d like to add for our Group Tour audience?
A. Northern Ontario is not that far away. When I speak with U.S.-based tour operators, I always ask them if they currently visit Mackinac Island, Michigan, which is a popular destination for group travel. I then point out that Sault Ste. Marie is only 45 miles from Mackinac. Once they cross the international bridge, they are in Northern Ontario and the beginning of some of the most spectacular outdoors they will ever see.
By Madeline Fuerstenberg
Main Image: Agawa Canyon Tour Train; Credit: Destination Northern Ontario
