The head of Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) has been recognized for his many years of work with the hospitality industry.
TWEPI President and CEO Gordon Orr was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2023 Tourism Industry Award of Excellence.
Orr was honoured for his over 30 years of promoting hospitality and making Windsor-Essex attractive to tourists.
"I want to thank the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) for bestowing upon me this honour," said Orr in a media release. "I am grateful for the spotlight this recognition shines on my team, our organization, and the region I love."
Christopher Bloore, President and CEO of TIAO, cited Orr's expertise in bringing tourists to the region and also marketing Windsor-Essex to those living far from it.
"In this year’s recipient, Gordon Orr, we have a recipient who is the living embodiment of someone who has made a profound contribution to the Ontario tourism industry over a prolonged period," said Bloore. "Gordon has played a pivotal role in the growth of tourism in Windsor, Essex, and Pelee Island to help create the dynamic destination that we see today and loved by domestic and international visitors alike."
Orr's first job in hospitality was at the Best Western Rose City Inn, now the Four Points by Sheraton. He worked his way up and joined what was then called the Convention and Visitors Bureau of Windsor, Essex County, and Pelee Island, first as the director of convention marketing, then managing director, and since 2011, CEO.
When the COVID-19 pandemic broadsided the tourism industry, Orr was appointed to the provincial government's Tourism Economic Recovery Ministerial Task Force, which developed ten recommendations for tourism recovery.
Orr is also the founding president of the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF), a longtime member of Rotary International, and a past president of the Maryvale Adolescence and Family Services board of directors. He also serves as the current president of the University of Windsor Alumni Association.