Uxbridge tourists contribute to big spends in Durham

Roger Varley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Uxbridge council was told Monday that, in 2023, downtown Uxbridge helped Durham Region pull in almost $26 million in tourism dollars last year.

A presentation by Lisa John-Mackenzie of Central Counties Tourism, as well as a report submitted by Katlyn Jones, Uxbridge's manager of cultural services, tourism and the BIA, revealed that there were a total of 2.59 million visits to downtown Uxbridge in 2023, with over 300,000 of those visits being made by tourists. Both presentations said tourists throughout Durham Region spent an average of $86 each per trip, contributing to a $25.8 million spend by visitors. It was not clear in either presentation how much of that $25.8 million was exclusive to either the Township of Uxbridge in general, or the downtown specifically.

The figures were calculated using the province's Tourism Regional Economic Impact Model, a data analysis simulation tool. Jones’ report added that data was collected using geofencing (a virtual geographic boundary around a particular area) and cell phone data.

John-Mackenzie’s presentation, which was aimed at giving an overview to how Uxbridge contributed to Durham Region’s tourism, said that Dagmar Ski Resort, Ski Lakeridge and the Trail Hub were three major players in getting people to come to the Uxbridge area, as were several local golf clubs. There are 120 tourism businesses in Uxbridge, according to the 2023 Durham Region Business Count.

Jones’ report was presented alongside the 2025-2028 Uxbridge Community Tourism Plan, the third such plan designed to “further investment in the visitor economy.” The plan said that the majority of visitors to Uxbridge fit into “Adventure Seeker” and “Art Lover” market profiles, and added that agritourism is growing, along with visits to sites like the Leaskdale Manse National Historical site and the Thomas Foster Memorial.

The Uxbridge Community Tourism Plan, created in partnership with Central Counties Tourism, was developed for the Township by a committee made up of local business owners, organization volunteers, municipal and regional staff. It’s purpose is to outline objectives, goals and action items that were identified by the committee. The draft Durham Tourism Strategic Action Plan 2024-2028 was also reviewed and considered when prioritizing objectives and action items to align to regional priorities.