Tourism in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay is regarded as one of Canada’s Premier Outdoor Cities. Epic adventures meet culture and urban amenities in Northwest Ontario’s largest city.
Located upon the Traditional Lands of the Anishinaabe Peoples of Fort William First Nation, Signatories to the Robinson Superior Treaty of 1850, on the shore of Lake Superior (the world’s largest freshwater lake) and embraced by the Nor’Wester Mountain range, Thunder Bay is a vibrant community surrounded by natural wonders. The gateway to 500,000 square kilometres of Canadian wilderness with over 150,000 lakes and rivers, Thunder Bay and Northwest Ontario are the ultimate adventure playground.
Though it may be small a small city, Thunder Bay is incredibly abundant in stunning sceneries, outdoor activities, culinary delights, cultural experiences, friendly people and authentic experiences. It’s size is one of this City’s greatest assets – you are never far away from your next adventure!
Key Advantages
International Connectivity
Strong air service through one of Ontario’s busiest international airports, combined with cross-border proximity and marine access, positions Thunder Bay as a strategic northern gateway for tourism growth, events, and group travel.
Four-Season Tourism
A true four-season destination, Thunder Bay supports a diverse mix of tourism products—from summer adventure and cruise visitation to winter sport, festivals, and training—helping extend the tourism calendar and reduce seasonality risk.
Natural Environment
World-class natural attractions located minutes from the urban core create a highly efficient operating environment, enabling compelling itineraries, multi-experience stays, and strong visitor satisfaction.
Host Event Capacity & Experience
A proven track record of hosting sport, cultural, and community events—supported by experienced organizers, volunteers, and adaptable infrastructure—reduces delivery risk and supports scalable event and tourism investment.
Investing in Tourism Experiences in Thunder Bay
The CEDC Tourism Development Fund (formerly the CEDC MAT Fund) supports tourism growth in Thunder Bay using revenues from the City’s Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT). The MAT is a 5% tax applied to short-term stays (30 days or less) at hotels, motels, and other accommodations in Thunder Bay. The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission administers 50% of these funds to support tourism development through two funding streams.
- Tourism Event Fund – Supports events that attract out-of-town visitors and generate overnight stays in Thunder Bay.
- Tourism Product Development Fund – Supports projects that create, enhance, or improve tourism experiences in Thunder Bay.
Economic Impact
How we Help
Tap into local expertise with the Thunder Bay CEDC.
Our experienced business development team and sector specialists provide tailored support to help your business expand and succeed in Thunder Bay.
Connect with us
- Community and market insights
- Local connections and network opportunities
- Site selection and location support
- Labour market intelligence and workforce data
- Workforce attraction support
- Guidance on funding programs and incentives
- Community and lifestyle marketing
Workforce
How we Help
Tourism Thunder Bay helps build awareness as an inclusive travel destination and generates visitation in domestic and foreign markets through effective advertising and communications campaigns and partnerships.
The Tourism Thunder Bay team also provides the community with marketing support for the leisure tourism, sports, and convention industries.
Specific activities performed by Tourism Thunder Bay include:
- Promote the city as a year-round leisure tourism destination;
- Develop and implement content driven advertising and communications campaigns with regional, national and international coverage to feature Thunder Bay as an attractive destination for leisure, sport and business travel markets.
- Support special events that will create growth in overnight visitation;
- Maintain high quality, updated website / social media channels and printed materials for visitors and residents.
- Serve as main point of information for inquiries related to tourism and convention-related business that brings visitors to Thunder Bay through three visitor centres, two of which are National historic sites.
By capitalizing upon Thunder Bay’s connection to its natural environment as its unique selling proposition, Tourism Thunder Bay weaves cultural, culinary, attractions and accommodations into the outdoor theme to maximize urban economic impacts in the following diversified segments:
- Leisure (outdoors, touring, events and attractions, VFR)
- Meetings & Conventions & Incentive Travel
- Sports Tourism
- Travel Media Relations
- Domestic and International Travel Trade
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Urban and Regional Tourism Assets
- International Airport
- Festival & Event Spaces and venues
- Four-Season Outdoor Recreation
- Cultural Attractions and Entertainment
- Food, Beverage & Dining
- Farming & Agriculture
- Accommodations & Camping
- Public Transportation & Ride Share
- Retail & Local Markets
- Visitor Centres (3)
- Urban Waterfront & Cruise Port
- Cycling & Trail Networks
- Sport Event Hosting Infrastructure
- Hiking & Scenic Lookouts
- Museum & Heritage Experiences