Holiday season tourism gets a busy start in Simcoe County

Businesses and resorts are getting set for a busy holiday season.

With the great getaway well underway for the holiday season, businesses and resorts across Simcoe County and Muskoka are hoping for a record breaking year.

The highways were busy Monday morning with people kicking off the holiday season. Many of them ended up on the ski hills across the region.

The recent snowfall and cold weather have made for excellent conditions at all of the local slopes and the resorts are getting ready for what’s bound to be a busy couple of weeks.

Chris Lewis, vice-president of operations at Blue Mountain said, “We have so much terrain available this year. It’s been an extraordinary start for us so lots of terrain for lots of people.”

“We’ll see thousands of people out skiing, skating, walking through the village, and we have our tubing operation as well,” Lewis added.

With more people expected to go on a staycation this winter break because of the low Canadian dollar and tariff war with the United States, local resorts and hotels are expected to capitalize.

Tourism Barrie said more than 220,000 people stayed in a hotel or Airbnb in the city from January to March 2025 with an economic impact of just over $42 million. It expects those number to be consistent this holiday.

Even small town restaurants, like this one in Elmvale, expect a big jump in customers in the coming weeks.

Susan Gilson, owner of Steelers Restaurant and Pub in Elmvale said, “We are basically the centre of Barrie and Wasaga Beach everywhere so you kind of have to come through here to get to your destination.”

For those who are staying close to home, it’s just a couple of weeks to do what they love to do with family and friends.