Visit The County Connect

10/15/2026

Did you know that half of the visitor-paid Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) goes straight to the municipality to benefit our community?

Since the MAT started, that visitor-paid municipal revenue has been put to work on things like:

🛣️ Our Roads: Over $2 million has been invested in road infrastructure.

🚌 Public Transit: It funded the Summer Weekend Connector Bus and helped support ride-sharing and taxi programs.

🚻 Better Amenities: It pays for seasonal washrooms, accessible parking on Main Streets, and even managing invasive species on the Millennium Trail.

The remaining 50% of the MAT is divided between StayPEC and Visit The County. By law, this portion is legally mandated to be spent on tourism management and marketing. We intentionally put the word “management” first, because protecting and supporting our community is our top priority!

We are continuing to share this series over the next few weeks to keep you informed about how the visitor economy and the MAT actively benefit our community.

10/09/2026

We’re sharing a few Fast Facts over the next few weeks to give you a clear look into Visit The County’s operations!

Fast Fact #1: Our Funding.

Did you know zero resident property tax dollars go toward Visit The County? Our activities are funded exclusively by visitors who stay overnight in local accommodations through the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT).

We use that funding to help optimize the way tourism works here, supporting local businesses in the shoulder season, creating year-round economic stability, and managing the visitor experience for the benefit of our entire community.

Follow along as we share more Fast Facts in the weeks ahead!

10/08/2026

Are you a landlord or rental property owner in Prince Edward County? 🌾 The County wants to hear from you!

Fill out the updated Rental Housing Survey to help guide local housing policies, tenant support, and municipal resources for property owners.

The County of Prince Edward’s Housing Department is requesting information from rental property owners to better understand rental housing in Prince Edward County.

🏘The survey has been expanded to include more rental unit types for a broader sense of the rental housing market, vacancy rates and other issues.

💻Property owners and managers can find the survey here: https://survey.pecahc.ca/zs/33C5f3

🖊The survey can also be completed offline with the assistance of the County’s Housing Help Coordinator.

👀Learn more: https://www.thecounty.ca/county_news_notices/rental-housing-survey-launched-in-the-county/

10/05/2026

Community Partnership Fund Round 2 🌱

This round of funding is for events that will attract visitors to PEC taking place between January 1, 2027 and March 31, 2027. Open today (October 5) until November 13 👏

More details at the link in our bio.

10/02/2026

COUNTY MARATHON DETAILS 👟

Road closures and traffic disruptions will occur on Sunday, October 4 during the County Marathon.

The closures are rolling, meaning roads will reopen when necessary. In addition, major intersections will be managed to keep traffic moving and allow vehicles through at regular intervals. The road closures will be coordinated by a specialized road race company and the Ontario Provincial Police.

The following roads will be closed at these times:
County Road 33 (Wellington to Bloomfield): 7:30 am - 9 am
County Road 12 (Bloomfield to Sandbanks): 8:00 am – 12 pm
County Road 11 (Sandbanks to Picton): 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
County Road 10 (starting at County Road 11): 9:30 am - 1 pm
County Road 10 (intersection of County Road 1 and County Road 10): 7:30 am - 1 pm
Picton Main Street (Lake Street to Cystal Palace): 7:30 am - 2:30 pm.

Check out the overview of the entire race route here:https://www.thecounty.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/CountyMarathon-Map-letter_8.5x11.pdf

The race finish line is at Crystal Palace at the Picton Fairgrounds (375 Picton Main Street). Race participants will run along the entire surface of Picton Main Street.

Drivers are asked to proceed with caution and avoid travelling in the vicinity of the race route if possible. Please note: access to the Prince Edward Community Centre grounds (375 Picton Main Street) is also available through the back entrance on Macsteven Drive.

For more information, contact the County of Prince Edward at 613.476.2148 ext. 1023, 613.962.9108 ext. 1023, or [email protected].

10/01/2026

Ever wonder what Visit The County actually does? 🎥 Watch our video: “What is a DMMO?” to find out!

Here is a quick look at how it works: We are funded by the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), a 4% tax paid exclusively by visitors staying overnight in roofed accommodations, meaning zero resident property taxes fund our work. Under provincial law, if a municipality collects the MAT, at least 50% of that revenue must legally be dedicated to tourism promotion and development.

Since these funds are legally mandated for tourism, our goal at Visit The County is to ensure those visitor dollars are used as effectively as possible to benefit our residents. We do this by:

🍂 Contributing to a Four Season Visitor Economy: We spend the vast majority of our marketing dollars in the shoulder season. By marketing The County as a year-round destination, we help keep local shops and restaurants busy and our neighbours employed long after the summer crowds have left.

🗺️ Managing the Impact: We actively fund destination management. This means encouraging respectful travel and directing visitor flow to manage traffic and reduce pressure on our busiest areas.

🏡 Protecting The County: We guide the visitor economy through the lens of sustainable growth and development, with the intent of benefitting our community rather than exploiting the “County charm” we all love.

Visit our website for more answers to your questions about Tourism Management and how VTC operates: https://visitthecounty.com/link-ctas/residents-voices-shaping-tourism

09/23/2026

Cycling tourism is booming, bringing new visitors and revenue to our regional economy. You can help frame the next steps on Ontario's Cycling Tourism Strategy! 🚲️

Whether you run a local shop, restaurant, accommodation, tourism business, or community organization, your perspective is vital to shaping a strategy that works for you.

Here is how you can get involved:

📋 Take the Survey: Share your insights in a short, multi-minute survey to inform the plans: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/YC8S56B

RTO9 (South Eastern Ontario Regional Tourism Organization) is currently working with a consulting team to develop a regional Cycling Tourism Strategy. Learn more: https://www.rto9.ca/newsroom/building-cycling-tourism-in-south-eastern-ontario/

Let's build a vibrant, bike-friendly region together!

09/22/2026

The Community Partnership Fund Round 1 Applications are closing soon!

It's all about supporting local non-profits and business collectives bring visitors to The County during the quieter months. You can apply for up to $2,500 toward running an event that drives overnight stays.⁠
⁠
Intake 1 Applications: Open NOW until Sept 25 (for events happening Nov 1 – Dec 31, 2026)⁠

Intake 2 Applications: Open Oct 5, 2026 - Nov 13, 2026 (for events happening Jan 1, 2027 and Mar 31)⁠

Check out the guidelines and apply today: https://visitthecounty.com/industry/funding-opportunity
⁠

09/10/2026

Attention all caregivers, parents, and families, great news! Hello, weekend childcare! 👋✨

Reaching for Rainbows is officially launching a brand-new pilot program offering weekend child care, starting this coming weekend (September 12) and running through the fall based on community demand.

This program is specifically designed to support families working non-traditional hours outside the typical Monday to Friday, 9-to-5 schedule, especially those in our local hospitality, tourism, and healthcare sectors.

Learn more at the website: https://reachingforrainbows.com/childcare-projects

08/25/2026

🍁 Attention PEC restaurants and producers! Fall Countylicious registration closes Wednesday, September 2 ahead of the Labour Day weekend.

We’re gearing up to finalize our restaurant lineup and launch the next phase of campaign promotion shortly after. Here is what you need to know to get involved:

🍽️ Event Dates: October 22 – November 15, 2026

🍽️ Zero Participation Fee: The only requirement is providing one $100 gift card to support campaign promotions and giveaways.

🍽️ Flexible Registration: Need more time to craft your answers? Feel free to submit your basic registration details first and follow up with your feature questions later. Check the registration doc for a preview of what we'll ask!

🌾 Calling All Producers!
We want to highlight the amazing people behind Countylicious ingredients! If you have high-quality video clips or images of your farm, products, or process, please share them with us so we can feature you during the campaign!

👉 Register your restaurant here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfQRdyMUThqLiJYV-trBwg7T3kd10sfFSb2lMkb98_xvE5kIA/viewform

👉 Send over your media assets here: https://upload.crowdriff.com/visit-the-county--a5314851