Barrie ready for busy tourism season

From Simcoe County to Muskoka, our region knows how to amplify it's natural highlights and use that as the perfect welcome for tourists.

The City of Barrie has already hosted two major events in June; the first leg of the Troubadour Summer Concert Series and the Barrie Air Show and the summer season has not even officially started.

The two events have already shown what the downtown area can offer, and executive director of Tourism Barrie Kathleen Trainor said the city is just getting started.

“It’s a big, big summer for Barrie,” said Trainor. “We have lots of things to do and hopefully the weather holds out for us.”

Trainor added the city will be looking to build off it’s highly successful summer season from last year.

“Last year in 2025, we had over 670,000 people stay and a $212 million in economic impact,” said Trainor. “So, every year we’ve increased and with three new hotels, we expect that to increase in 2026. So far, it’s been a really good year.”

With Canada also hosting the World Cup, it’s been a busy start to June in the hotel industry.

“We have been sold out basically since June started,” said Vanessa Stevenson, General Manager of Hampton Inn Suites by Hilton “It’s fantastic when people are coming from all over the place for a plethora of different reasons. Whether they’ve been coming for the Troubadour Festival, they’ve been coming in town for a wonderful airshow this past weekend, maybe were a jump off point for things like the Butter Tart Festival in Midland or the Georgian Bay Festival. Weddings, visiting friends, family, going downtown, going to the water, you name it. They’re coming. They’re coming through for lots of reasons.”

With hotels being close to fully a booked, a trend that will continue.

“This month we’re going to finish probably close to about 85 per cent if this pace continues, and that trend continues through the course of the summer,” said Stevenson.

Executive director of Downtown Barrie BIA Craig Stevens said the last two weekends have been exceptionally busy and supporting businesses downtown remains important.

“Our small businesses on our main street, they’re our friends, family and neighbors, these people that own these businesses likely live in your neighborhood,” said Stevens. “And so, to support (them) all is just so important.”

If you missed the last two weekends in the city’s downtown, there is some good news. You can head back downtown Barrie for Canada Day festivities or on July 25, the second leg of the Troubadour Summer Concert Series will feature one of Canada’s most iconic rock bands, The Watchmen.