Windsor, ON – Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is pleased to announce the winners of the 6th Annual Best of Windsor Essex Awards as voted at bestofwindsoressex.ca.
“Originally, we struggled with the timing and practicality of offering the Best of Windsor Essex Awards as an opportunity for locals to engage and support their local businesses. We decided to move forward as we soon realized this year it was more important than ever to feature local – and inspire locals to think about their favourite places to go and things to do” said Gordon Orr, CEO of Tourism Windsor Essex. “Our Windsor and Essex County residents responded favourably – as we saw an almost 60% increase in people nominating businesses – and over 13.7 thousand people voted for their favourites this year.”
Voting for the awards happened between February 18th and March 7th, 2021 to allow the public let us know their favourite places to go and things to do. This year saw 13,742 votes – an increase of 9% over last year’s voting results, which was a record high in 2020.
The goal of the Best of Windsor Essex Awards is to help create an authentic list of where locals love to go and visit that can be utilized by visitors, when travel is encouraged in the province.
“Now in its sixth year and with record breaking support by locals, you can see how passionate our residents are of their locals businesses and attractions. During a year where supporting our local business was paramount to the success of our industry, you can see by that support that our residents agree” said Orr. “Our goal from the Best of Windsor Essex Awards is to showcase iconic experiences, hidden gems, and everything in between. We want residents and visitors to be able to use this list as a great way to plan a Staycation in Windsor Essex this year.”
Winners were announced during a broadcast media event on Facebook and YouTube. Each winner will receive a commemorative plaque, a letter of congratulations and bragging rights, included in our 2021/2022 Official Visitor Guide, and branding at bestofwindsoressex.ca. This specifically designed site will feature a mini-profile and photo of each winner and a highlight of the top 5 finalists in each award.