The municipality is calling 2016 a banner year for summer tourism.
Visitor numbers are up, and Supervisor of Tourism Development, Shannon Paiva, says that's encouraging, as the city begins to rollout its revamped Tourism Development Management Plan.
Paiva says they're seeing a record number of day-trippers spend their summer in the city -- something that only bodes well for our economy.
"When you come here, even if it's something as simple as hitting up a store for an icre cream or a water toy for the beach, it all adds up," she says, "and we love to see these people because we know that they're going to translate into some of those overnight stays."
Paiva adds American visitors are not few and far between, noting a relatively lower Canadian dollar might have a role to play in it, but says it's truly because Chatham-Kent offers a great product.
Although they know enough to know that numbers are on the rise, the municipality wants to start tracking visitors.
"It's how we know where to put our dollars, so we can continue to offer what people want," says Paiva.
"It is so extremely important for businesses and attractions within the municipality to understand their customer."
Paiva says -- to stay up -- her department is doing a few things to grow interest in the region.
"Our first tier of the Tourism Development Management Plan does have to do with black history and angling so we are leveraging those products," says Paiva, noting positive feedback and high turnouts at the city's Underground Railroad sites and its fishing points.
"It's not something that's around every single day, so it makes it a little more special."
