Join us as we inspire and support tourism

​entrepreneurs and innovation across Canada! 


Our progress since 2018:

• 150+ “Spark” winners in BC & Ontario received mentorships & seed fund grants
• 100+ program partners across Canada
• 50+ “Spark” Programs delivered
• 6 Indigenous tourism programs
• 2 2SLGBTQI+ tourism programs
• 1 Black tourism program
• 1 Accessible tourism program
• 500+ “Spark” applications received
• 50+ pitch sessions
• 150+ review jurors and pitch session judge panel volunteers
• 150+ volunteer mentors recruited and matched
• 4 Digital Shift Virtual Workshops
• 2 Tourism Innovators Roundtables

Watch these videos to see why we do what we do!

Be inspired! Wanderlight Alpaca Experience is developing a new agritourism mystery experience in Peterborough & the Kawarthas.​

Be inspired! Aggie Armstrong launched contemporary art experiences on her farm in Oxford County.​

Be inspired! Simper's Fishing Charters offers Indigenous tourism experiences in Caldwell First Nation.

Be Inspired! iSUP Saugeen launched a mobile surf shop, water safety awareness programs and on-water experiences in Bruce County.

Be inspired! The Downtown Wallaceburg BIA launched a new kayak experience called Whimsies Paddle Adventures in Chatham-Kent.

​About the Tourism Innovation Lab:
The Tourism Innovation Lab is a non-profit initiative created to find, foster and support new tourism ideas, experiences and partnerships, to cultivate and propel collaborations between the tourism and tech sectors, and to build a community of tourism innovators, idea makers and entrepreneurs in Canada. First launched in 2018, the Lab and its "Spark" Mentorships & Grants Program are now offered across British Columbia and Ontario.

​The Tourism Innovation Lab is a program of Hackforge and is based in Windsor, ON and Squamish, BC.

Interested in launching the "Spark" Program in your region? 
​Interested in being a mentor and supporting innovators and new tourism initiatives?  

Please contact Justin Lafontaine, Program Lead at [email protected] or 416-712-8819 for more information.

​Updates from the Lab:
Read our December 2024 Newsletter

Learn more about the Tourism Innovation Lab