Our city is your city
Purpose
In a time marked by political polarization and economic uncertainty, Canada has a unique opportunity to lead with openness, inclusivity, and a strong sense of place. But with global attention turned our way, the question is: are we telling the right story?
The Our city is your city campaign set out to answer that – not with political statements, but with a compelling narrative rooted in Canadian values and Kingston’s identity.
The result was a campaign that bridged divides by speaking to what matters: how a place makes you feel.
- Increase overnight visitation
- Drive awareness of Kingston as culturally rich, welcoming, and accessible
- Generate economic activity
- Increase web traffic and operator referrals
Effectiveness
We leaned into shared Canadian values and Kingston’s national significance – as the original capital of Canada and home to iconic Canadian landmarks. With its central location and rich culture, Kingston offered a unique sense of place.
Our city is your city. More than a tagline, it became a unifying positioning – an invitation to be part of the community. It was inclusive and adaptive, designed to resonate with different travellers with a consistent voice.
The media strategy blended traditional and digital formats, with geographic and behavioural targeting, plus digital retargeting linked to out-of-home placements.
Hotels partnered with Tourism Kingston on discounted stays: $100 off two-nights, with $50 off additional nights (up to four nights). Tourism Kingston and the hotel association funded this incentive ensuring hotels did not lose revenue.
Running May 1–June 30, 2025, the eight-week campaign went into market at the right time with the right message, delivering a boost to Kingston’s economy: more heads in beds, more foodies at tables, and more shoppers in stores. Based on this success, the campaign was extended and will run throughout the summer with a weekday overnight stay offer. As of June 30, 2025, the campaign has exceptional results:
- 35,000,000 media impressions
- 273,000+ ad clicks
- 590,000+ website sessions (+30% YoY)
- Hotel demand up 6% YoY
- Hotel revenue up 2% YoY
- Kingston’s top markets based on visitor spend: Ontario, U.S., Quebec
Challenges
The primary challenge was the speed of execution. The campaign was born out of escalating Canada-U.S. relations and the opportunity to drive visitation this summer. From this insight to implementation, it was developed over six weeks.
Extending into U.S. drive markets could be seen as risky, but it was grounded in data. Our Destination Insights Dashboard, which brings together several data points around visitor trends and visitation, showed that U.S. visitation was already trending up year to date – we had an opportunity to continue to recover this market.
Target audience
Demographically, the campaign targeted couples and families. Primary: aged 25+, interested in travel, entertainment, leisure, culinary. Secondary: families with kids under 18.
Canadian campaign
- Primary: Greater Toronto Area (GTA), Montreal, Ottawa
- Secondary: Niagara, Kitchener, Hamilton, London
US campaign
- Primary (short drive): upstate New York
- Secondary (long drive): Detroit (MI), Buffalo (NY), Philadelphia (PA)
Sustainability
Tourism Kingston strives to incorporate sustainability in all its operations. Our actions are guided by our GreenStep Sustainable Tourism certification (destination: silver; visitor centre: gold), the UN Sustainable Development goals, and the City of Kingston’s climate leadership plan.
Through our promoted experiences and website content, visitors are encouraged to experience Kingston mindfully: shopping and dining locally; supporting local artisans and businesses; using sustainable transportation; and experiencing our local green spaces and nature trails.
