Bus tour sends businesses 'speed dating' around Lennox and Addington

In Lennox and Addington County, one tour bus each summer doesn't carry tourists.

Instead, it hosts the local business owners and employees who work and live in the region. And on Wednesday, a bus full of them toured some of the nearby attractions ahead of this long weekend.

Jane Adams-Roy, owner of the Waterfront River Pub and Terrace in Napanee, Ont., said the tour bus ride helps businesses answer one question tourists ask over and over.

"So many folks come and ask us, 'What is there to do in the area?'" she said. "So, for us, getting our staff knowledgeable about that ... it's just a fabulous opportunity."

The point of the tour is to let the guests "see first-hand what's going on" in the region southwest of Ottawa, said Rob Plumley, a community development officer for the county who helps plan and run the ride.

"Everybody knows that when you go to a place, you're much more apt to refer to it and keep it top of mind than you are just seeing it on paper," Plumley told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning last week.

The business owners then return to their staff and tell them about the best places to recommend, Plumley said.

Adams-Roy sees the bus tour from both sides. She's taken part every year since it launched three years ago, while her own restaurant — which also offers tours of the Napanee River — is a stop along the way.

When it comes to which businesses to recommend, Adams-Roy said she looks for ones that are "well-kept" and show the owners are "invested" and "have an eye to detail."

Jane Adams-Roy and her husband Alain Roy, pictured in this undated photo, own the Waterfront River Pub and Terrace and Napanee River Tours. (Submitted by Rob Plumley)

Agritourism destinations always popular

"How do you feel when you walk up? You never get a second chance to make a first impression," she said.

"Normally, when folks walk onto [our] terrace at the waterfront, they [often] take 10 steps [and] look towards the fountains and they get their camera out. And I won. Like, that's so awesome. That's what I want, that's exactly what I wanted you to do, is just to feel this energy and space."

Her favourite recommendations to make are for agritourism destinations, especially to tourists visiting from big cities.

"If there is any place where you can go and you can pet a goat or feed a llama or pet a deer or a sheep or a pig, that's gonna be the one that I recommend," she said.

Plumley said those spots are always "the biggest hit" because people tend to mistakenly assume they'll be for children.

"Everyone, whether you're eight or 80, likes to run around with an alpaca," he said.

Lennox and Addington Country businesspeople visit a goat at the Second Chance Ranch in Odessa, Ont., on May 15, 2024, during the tourism bus ride. (Submitted by Rob Plumley)

According to Plumley, the tour is also designed to get local business owners up to speed on the local attractions without taking up too much of their time.

"Everyone's busy, especially with the May long weekend coming up here," he said.

"That's kind of when the season really hits the gas pedal here. So it's ... almost like a speed dating-type opportunity, where you have five minutes to chat — and then you hop on the bus and go on to the next one."