Get to Know: Amy Hogue, Content Specialist
Amy is a familiar face in the tourism industry, especially in Lanark County where she currently lives with her husband on a farm just outside of Lanark. Having started working with OHTO as a Local Wanderer in 2017, writing stories about local experiences in Lanark County, Amy has grown into the role of Content Specialist where she has left her mark in building the brand for the last three years.
A storyteller at heart, Amy has strong roots in the region, having settled in Lanark County when her kids were young, and where she homeschooled them over the next 15 years. During this time, she volunteered in the community coordinating local events while working as a freelance writer, writing stories for various magazines, publications, and local newspapers.
It wasn’t long before she discovered she enjoyed writing for businesses more than writing cold, factual news. At the same time, she also discovered a love for tourism and the beneficial economic impacts it can have on local businesses.
Her work in event planning allowed her love for tourism to blossom and, that, coupled with her skill for storytelling, encouraged her to create a travel blog as a way to communicate all the great regional experiences that people must experience. At the same time, Amy also began working with the Lanark County Tourism Association, offering support to businesses and managing programs that drove tourism to the region.
Amy’s deep-seeded passion for tourism has grown to developing content and tourism experiences that directly benefit business owners, and this is at the heart of the work she does with OHTO.
After starting with OHTO, Amy at first assumed she was coming into another government organization buckled under red tape. However, that myth was quickly demystified when she started working with the organization as a Local Wanderer and then as Content Specialist, where she discovered a creative, passionate group with grassroots energy.
These are the types of organizations she’s passionate about working with – the ‘under-dog’ organization with (as always) not enough resources but big ideas. She loves that the organization thinks outside-of-the-box and isn’t afraid to take chances, all for the betterment of Ontario’s Highlands as a destination.
With OHTO, Amy appreciates the team environment. She has always worked from home alone so it’s nice to be engrained with a team that has energy and excitement. This team-focused atmosphere motivates her to work harder and to be more creative every day.
Throughout the course of her career, Amy’s passion for tourism has deepened, mostly because she sees tourism as the backbone of any community that brings out the flavour and personality of the people who live there. Tourism has the ability to support business owners and develop authentic experiences, all which help to shape and strengthen the community, providing growth for the future.
Amy’s impact on tourism is evident both with OHTO, as well as on tourism as a whole in Lanark County. With OHTO, she is excited to create stories highlighting so many businesses in the region, with these stories seeing success and resonating with the consumer. They have contributed to great growth in the awareness level of Ontario’s Highlands as a region, especially with Amy’s creative flare and strategic thinking.
On a Lanark County level, Amy was the driving force behind the development of the Sip & Savour Trail, with stakeholder engagement, product development, and marketing launch. This is a project that she continues to take pride in. Throughout the course of this program, she has seen constant wins, whether it be increases in website visits or increases in people to culinary businesses, all because the trail exists. Seeing the impact of the trail on businesses in Lanark County is an accomplishment she is proud of to this day.
Amy’s favourite thing about Ontario’s Highlands is the ample opportunities for every kind of outdoor adventure. There are so many untouched places to explore, and loads of authentic experiences to discover along the way.
Local insider tip? When Amy travels, she always keeps an eye out for a location, whether it be a café, restaurant, or local shop, that sees a lot of local traffic. If there are lots of cars out front, lots of local people – you know that’s a place to visit. Trust locals’ recommendations!
Connect with Amy
Operators and stakeholders are invited to connect with Amy to share news about their business and what’s happening in their community. Amy can be reached via email at content@ohto.ca.