Tourism Sarnia-Lambton (TSL) is once again offering up the perfect stocking stuffer for the holidays.
The organization's popular gift card program is back for a fourth straight year.
TSL Executive Director Mark Perrin said you can buy cards valued at $10, $25, or $50 which can be redeemed at over 300 businesses across Sarnia-Lambton.
"There are no administration costs or anything like that, it's 100 per cent funding the industry, and we're kind of just doing it in good faith for the industry," said Perrin. "They don't expire either. There's a date on them, but if you have cards from 2021, 2022 or 2023, you can bring them to the TSL office for a new card or you can take them to a participating business and they will accept them from previous years."
Perrin said the initiative has been extremely well received since it first launched in 2021.
"We actually reached a milestone recently of crossing over $500,000 in direct revenue from gift card sales," he said. "Then, when we use the economic impact calculator, we have just over $3.5 million in economic impact. When people use them for going out to eat, or go to a hotel or any of those places, they're spending more money on top of the gift card most of the time. When you add that up, that's where the $3.5 million number comes from. It's just great to have that kind of revenue circulating through our whole tourism industry sector."
Perrin said despite the impacts of COVID easing, many tourism businesses still face significant challenges with the labour shortage and rising costs of interest rates and inflation
"The program is a win for businesses, a win for their employees, and a win to support our local industries," he said. "It's kind of one of those rare triple wins for everyone and it's just been great. Even throughout the tourism industry, we've really been recognized for our program as one of the leading ones not only in Ontario but throughout Canada."
Gift cards can be purchased in person at Tourism Sarnia-Lambton at 1455 Venetian Blvd in Point Edward, or online at DiscoverSarniaLambton.com.
Businesses interested in joining the program can call TSL at 519-336-3232.