Windsor-Essex launches tourism season with 11th annual Staycation Expo

With fewer people crossing into the States, TWEPI is promoting staycations. CTV Windsor’s Chris Campbell has details.

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island officially kicked off the region’s tourism season on Friday with the release of its 2025–26 Official Visitor Guide, timed to coincide with the 11th annual Staycation Expo at Devonshire Mall.

The event, which runs Friday and Saturday, features more than 70 vendors promoting attractions, events and experiences available throughout Windsor-Essex and Pelee Island. It also marks the first opportunity for the public to pick up a copy of the newly released guide.

The Official Visitor Guide is the largest print marketing piece the tourism board produces each year, designed to highlight authentic experiences for both visitors and locals across the region.

Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island : Official Visitor Guide 2025

“We are excited to release our Official Visitor Guide. This year’s cover highlights the region’s newest attraction, Streetcar No. 351 on the Windsor waterfront, depicting a family enjoying the streetcar and taking the opportunity to learn more about the automotive history of the city in a unique way,” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex. “This year more than ever, visitors are looking for authentic and unique experiences to plan their travel, and our Official Visitor Guide makes it easy. Highlighting buyable experiences, one-of-a-kind itineraries and 260-plus businesses, it will be a hot commodity for visitors planning their trip — and also for locals looking to stay closer to home and support local businesses this summer.”

Streetcar No. 351 is now open to the public, with grand opening events, storytelling, and tours continuing through Sunday, April 27.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/former-mayor-honoured-at-legacy-beacon-opening-and-streetcar-no-351-unveiling/

The Staycation Expo has become a longstanding partnership between Tourism Windsor Essex and Devonshire Mall, offering a high-traffic venue to promote regional tourism initiatives.

“Devonshire Mall is proud to be the host of the Staycation Expo, a unique collaboration that we look forward to each year — an annual tradition since 2014,” said Aaron Edwards, general manager of Devonshire Mall. “The diverse offering of partners that Tourism Windsor Essex profiles at the Staycation Expo allows them to reach a new audience with tens of thousands of visitors daily, and we view this partnership as a true win-win for our tenants, customers and the entire tourism industry.”

Orr said the event provides stakeholder partners with valuable exposure, particularly as visiting friends and family remains a top motivation for tourism in the region.

“We are grateful to Devonshire Mall for continuing their partnership on the Staycation Expo and the opportunity for our stakeholder partners to be visible to 50,000-plus visitors over the next two days,” said Orr. “This partnership is a win-win for Tourism Windsor Essex and for our stakeholder partners to gain this highly valued foot traffic. Visiting friends and family continues to be a top visit segment of visitors to our region, so educating locals about things to see and do is an important aspect of our marketing plan each year.”

The Staycation Expo is open Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It includes tastings from EPIC Wineries and the Barrels Bottles & Brews Trail, a W.E. Made It Market, and a passport challenge. Attendees who collect stamps from 10 different exhibitors will be entered into a draw to win a $500 Devonshire Mall gift card.

Further information is available at visitwindsoressex.com/staycation.