Toronto, ON – June 23, 2025 – The Ontario Tourism Education Corporation (OTEC) and the Ontario Museum Association (OMA) are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership aimed at supporting rural museums across Ontario in becoming more market-ready and deeply integrated into their regional tourism ecosystems.
This collaboration will see the development and pilot of a comprehensive training program designed to build sector-specific skills and competencies for rural museums, including digital presence, data analysis, audience development, and partnership building. The program will be piloted with select rural cultural heritage sites affiliated with two Regional Museum Associations (RMAs), which make up the larger provincial Regional Museum Network (RMN), with the goal of empowering them to grow as central contributors to tourism clusters and local economies.
“Rural museums play a vital role in telling the authentic stories of our communities and creating compelling experiences for visitors,” said Sue Christensen, Senior Director, Learning Solutions and Co-Lead at OTEC. “Through this partnership with the Ontario Museum Association, we’re excited to support museums in strengthening their impact by building their market readiness and unlocking new opportunities through tourism.”
Funded by the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), this pilot will form the foundation for a long-term training resource available to museums across the province. It will also foster stronger cross-sector collaborations with key partners, including Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs), helping to position museums as essential contributors to sustainable tourism development.
“This partnership represents an important step forward for Ontario’s museum sector,” said Alison Drummond, Executive Director of the Ontario Museum Association. “By supporting rural museums with targeted professional development, we’re enabling them to play a larger role in their regional tourism strategies and ensuring their long-term sustainability through deeper community and industry connections.”
Together, OTEC and OMA aim to strengthen the tourism economy by equipping rural cultural heritage sites with the tools, partnerships, and strategies they need to thrive as part of Ontario’s vibrant visitor experience.
For more information on this partnership or available training opportunities, please contact:
OTEC Media Contact:
Daniel Drakeford
Director, Business Development & Communications
ddrakeford@otec.org
OMA Media Contact:
Jaimie Eastabrook
TGP Project Coordinator
community@museumsontario.ca
ABOUT OTEC
OTEC (Ontario Tourism Education Corporation) is a leading workforce innovation organization that delivers hospitality-centered learning experiences and training solutions for the tourism and service sectors. With a focus on workforce development, industry collaboration, and upskilling, OTEC supports organizations across Ontario and beyond in building resilient, inclusive, and future-ready workforces.
ABOUT THE ONTARIO MUSEUM ASSOCIATION
The Ontario Museum Association (OMA) is a member-based, not-for-profit organization that represents over 700+ museums, galleries, and heritage sites across Ontario. The OMA provides leadership, advocacy, and professional development to advance a vibrant, relevant, and sustainable museum sector. Through training, research, and collaboration, the OMA works to ensure museums thrive as essential spaces of learning, community engagement, and cultural tourism.
ABOUT FEDDEV ONTARIO
For over 15 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impact the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our investment profiles, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s X, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts.
