People visiting or living in Windsor-Essex are being invited to Follow the Flavours.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has launched Follow the Flavours Multicultural Food Trail in partnership with the Multicultural Council of Windsor-Essex, the Culinary Tourism Alliance and the Government of Canada.
The trail profiles 25 culturally diverse restaurant partners from across the region, and a digital passport with incentives to visit locations all year long.
Lynnette Bain, Vice-President of Destination Development at Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island, says it's a chance to explore parts of the community or restaurants you've never tasted before.
"Ranging from Middle Eastern, Indian, Italian, Mexican, Filipino, it's just runs the range. You're going to explore these tasty places, each are offering a signature dish you can try. When you check in at more than three stops during a quarter, you have a chance to an exclusive 'foodie experience,' we're giving away four this year," she says.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has launched Follow the Flavours Multicultural Food Trail, which has 25 restaurants already taking part. June 15, 2023 (Photo: Rusty Thomson)
Bain says culture and tradition are all woven through stories of food.
"We all have that in common, we all eat. I think you can really get past differences with one another and learn more from one another through the food we eat," she says. "So I think you should really explore new cultures, learn about people that live in our own neighbourhoods and communities by trying the restaurants on this trail. Asking questions and trying to immerse yourself in their culture."
Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) provided $120,000 to help develop the new project.
Bain says it's a hard for a destination marketing organization to market just one business or just one attraction.
"When we can get people to collaborate, work together and create a program, it's so much more effective to market that whole program or the whole trail. When you're bringing people from Toronto, the U.S. or other parts of Ontario, to come for a bigger group of things is a much easier sell than one individual item,' she says.
Click here to find out more about the Follow the Flavours Multicultural Food Trail and the restaurants involved.