Tourism
Strategic Location
Amherstburg, nestled along the shores of Lake Erie and the Detroit River, is one of the oldest settlements in South Western Ontario. Located in Essex County, the most southern region in Ontario, Canada, and just 20 kilometres from the Canada - United States border, Amherstburg’s is within a one hour drive of 4.5 million Americans, within a two hour drive of 11 million Americans, and within a six hour drive of 25 million Americans. Amherstburg’s strategic position is ideal for investors seeking a cost-effective location and convenient access to the full North American Market.
The Essex County region continues to improve its tourism industry. Canada's most popular gaming destination, Caesars Windsor was recently renamed upon completion of their $400 million expansion. Amenities include a four-diamond hotel with two towers featuring 758 beautifully-designed guestrooms, a 100,000 sq ft state-of-the-art convention centre, and a 5,000-seat entertainment centre that features premiere entertainers. With such immense traffic flocking to the new casino, Amherstburg is in a great position to create a "piggyback affect," latching on to Caesars Windsor’s tourism market.
Encompassing an area of 186 square kilometres and possessing over 325,000 acres of rich and fertile farmland, the region is the agricultural heartland of South-western Ontario and is valued for its agricultural production, dairy farming and a wine producing region comprising of 13 wineries covering over 1,000 acres
Visitor Origin by Country
| Country | % of Total |
| Canada | 81 % |
| United States | 16% |
| Other | 3% |
| Total | 100% |
Visitor Origin by Region
| Region | 2007 |
| Essex County | 60.8% |
| Michigan | 8.3% |
| Toronto and Area | 7.1% |
| South-western Ontario (excluding Essex County) | 6.7% |
| Central USA | 4.1% |
| Overseas | 2.9% |
| Ottawa/Eastern Ontario | 1.8% |
| East Coast USA | 1.4% |
| Georgian Bay | 1.0% |
| Quebec | 1.0% |
| Other | 4.9% |
| Total | 100% |
Interests and Reasons for Visiting
Sightseeing, recreation and restaurants and accommodations are frequent reasons for visits to Amherstburg.
Many of our visitors are new to the area and would utilize the services at the Information Center. It is difficult to determine how many visitors go directly to their destination.
| Interest/Reason | 2007 |
| Sightseeing* | 44.5% |
| Recreation** | 9.6% |
| Restaurants and Accommodations | 8.9% |
| Visiting Relatives and Friends | 6.6% |
| Directions and Maps | 6.6% |
| Museums | 6.3% |
| Festivals and Events | 3.8% |
| Real Estate | 3.4% |
| Business | 3.4% |
| Wine Route | 2.5% |
| History | 2.9% |
| Retail | 1.6% |
| Total | 100% |
* Sightseeing (The visitor has no specific destination in mind, but wants to see what is offered in the area).
** Recreation (Fishing, biking, hiking, beaches, parks, sailing, marinas and hunting)