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A special “Spark” Mentorship & Grants Program launches today encouraging entrepreneurs, small businesses, non-profits and community groups in London to come forward with creative ideas that will spark new music tourism offerings, experiences and collaborations in Canada's UNESCO City of Music.

The London UNESCO City of Music "Spark" Program will match selected applicants with a mentor and provide $5,000 in seed funds to help bring their new music tourism ideas to life.

The goal is to find, foster and support ideas that will enhance London’s music tourism offerings, create new high-quality experiences, address gaps in products and services, motivate longer stays and repeat visits and increase year-round visitation and tourism spending, especially those that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Applications are being accepted online from September 10 to October 10, 2024. Following a juried review process, top applicants will be invited to a Finalists’ Pitch Session where three winners will be selected.

Click here for more information. Missed the info session? Check out a recording here.

“As Canada’s UNESCO City of Music, we continue to explore opportunities to develop and grow the local music sector in London,” said Cory Crossman, Director, London Music Office & London UNESCO City of Music Focal Point. “Developing talent and capacity is central to London’s UNESCO City of Music Action Plan. We are now incubating music tourism programs that will enhance London’s globally music identity and further build London into a thriving arts hub.”

“The tourism industry is a key economic driver here in London,” said Natalie Wakabayashi, Director of Culture & Entertainment Tourism, Tourism London. “As Canada’s UNESCO City of Music, there is no better time to invest in new music tourism opportunities that will attract both domestic and international guests. We’re looking forward to the unique and authentic experiences and ideas that may come from this initiative as we foster the growth of London’s tourism offerings.”

“The “Spark” Program is the perfect initiative to encourage the development of innovative tourism ideas, offering a unique opportunity to support the future of music tourism in London. By empowering local talent and fostering creativity, this program will contribute to creating meaningful connections and unforgettable experiences for visitors.” said Joanne Wolnik, Executive Director of Ontario’s Southwest Regional Tourism Organization.

"We are thrilled to be launching the London UNESCO City of Music “Spark” Program to support new ideas that will elevate music tourism in London and across Canada. We're excited to see how these innovative projects will amplify the city's musical heritage and create engaging new experiences for visitors”, said Justin Lafontaine, Program Lead, Tourism Innovation Lab.

The London UNESCO City of Music “Spark” Program is a partnership between Tourism London, London Music Office, Ontario’s Southwest Regional Tourism Organization, Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Gaming and the Tourism Innovation Lab.

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Media Contacts

Natalie Wakabayashi, Director, Culture & Entertainment Tourism, Tourism London
226.926.0134 | nwakabayashi@londontourism.ca

Justin Lafontaine, Program Lead, Tourism Innovation Lab
416.712.8819 | info@tourisminnovation.ca 

Partner Organizations

About Tourism London
Tourism London, the city’s destination marketing organization since 1996, is a trailblazer in developing real experiences, promoting its vibrant and diverse visitor destination and attracting and hosting people with warm, genuine hospitality. We enhance the reputation of our city and grow the resilience of our sustainable tourism ecosystem by driving tourism visits and spending, collaborating with industry partners and enriching our community.

About London Music Office
The London Music Office (LMO), a division of Tourism London, exists to create conditions for the music industry to thrive and grow. The LMO is the connection point between the City of London and the Music Industry. LMO Also serves as the Focal Point for London’s UNESCO City of Music designation.

About London’s UNESCO City of Music Designation
The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) strives to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The current 350 cities across seven creative fields work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and cultural industries at the heart of their development plans at the local level and cooperating actively at the international level. London became Canada’s first UNESCO City of Music on November 8, 2021.

A UNESCO City of Music designation is an ongoing commitment to continue developing and strengthening London’s music sector. As an official UNESCO City of Music, London connects and collaborates with the international music community of 74 other cities, elevating London’s local music community. Visit www.LondonCityofMusic.ca to learn more.

About Ontario’s Southwest Regional Tourism Organization
Ontario’s Southwest (OSW) is a Regional Tourism Organization, funded through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming, and is governed by an industry-led Board of Directors from across the region. OSW works collaboratively with tourism partners to uphold OSW’s vision to be a year-round destination that offers highly sought experiences for visitors and residents, while working towards the mission of creating a “vibrant and inclusive tourism sector that balances the needs of our visitors, tourism partners, communities, and environment”. 

About Tourism Innovation Lab:
The Tourism Innovation Lab is a non-profit initiative created to find, foster and support new tourism ideas, experiences and partnerships, to cultivate and propel collaborations between the tourism and tech sectors, and to build a community of tourism innovators, idea makers and entrepreneurs in Canada. First launched in 2018, the Lab and its "Spark" Mentorships & Grants Program are now offered across British Columbia and Ontario. The Tourism Innovation Lab is a program of Hackforge and is based in Windsor, ON.