Birders will soon be ascending on the region, as the annual Festival of Birds gets underway along Lake Erie.
Vice President of Tourism Programs and Development at Tourism Windsor-Essex Pelee Island Lynnette Bain says Point Pelee National Park sees about 40,000-50,000 visitors each year between April 29 and May 18, and numbers are on the rise.
"We're seeing numbers that go back to what we were experiencing in the 1990's, pre-9/11," she explains. "We were up just over 9% last year, in visitation."
Bain says businesses across the region are being encouraged to step up their game, in order to increase visitor spending and retention.
Workshops are being held by TWEPI, giving local entrepreneurs tips on what can make a birder's stay more enjoyable.
Bain can't say exactly what the economic impact is expected to be from this year's festival, but says it will be significant.
