In this episode of Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism, host Karen Peacock sits down with Paul Pepe, the Manager of Tourism Thunder Bay, to talk about Lake Superior’s growing cruise industry, which contributed $4.3 million to Thunder Bay’s economy and brought nearly 7,000 passengers and crew to the city. Paul unpacks what Thunder Bay did to become a coveted ‘turnaround’ port, what cruise passengers are looking for, and how businesses, artists, and communities can get a piece of this pie.

• 01:23 Paul Pepe's Journey in Tourism
• 02:54 History of Cruise Ships in Thunder Bay
• 07:25 Economic Impact of Cruising
• 09:31 Promoting Thunder Bay as a Cruise Destination
• 13:21 The Role of Cruise Media
• 15:21 Cross-Border Partnerships
• 17:26 The Allure of Great Lakes Cruising
• 20:34 Connecting Local Operators with Cruise Lines
• 26:22 Popular Attractions and Shore Excursions
• 28:15 Opportunities For Communities
• 34:47 Challenges of Engaging With the Cruise Industry
• 39:45 Thunder Bay’s 2025-26 Cruise Seasons
• 41:31 Environmental Sustainability and Community Engagement

About Tourism Thunder Bay

• Tourism Thunder Bay website - visitthunderbay.com/en/index.aspx
• Cruise Port Thunder Bay webpage - visitthunderbay.com/en/plan-your-trip/cruise-port-thunder-bay.aspx
• Facebook - facebook.com/VisitThunderBay
• Instagram - instagram.com/visitthunderbay
• LinkedIn - ca.linkedin.com/company/tourismthunderbay
• Paul Pepe Contact Info - visitthunderbay.com/en/about-us/contact-us.aspx#Manager-Tourism-Thunder-Bay

Other Resources

• Great Lakes Cruise Association website - greatlakescruiseassociation.com

About the podcast

Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism is a podcast for tourism operators and industry stakeholders featuring experts who understand what it means to run a tourism business or organization here in Northern Ontario. Through casual conversations, you’ll learn about cutting edge topics like AI marketing, Cruise Ship Tourism, and trends that are shaking up the industry. Plus, you can tune in  while driving or doing chores.

For even more  insights that’ll help you grow your business, organization, or community, connect with Tourism Excellence North, which is part of Destination Northern Ontario:

• Website - tourismexcellencenorth.ca
• Facebook - facebook.com/DestinationNorthernOntario
• Instagram - instagram.com/destinationnorthernontario
• LinkedIn - linkedin.com/company/destinationnorthernontario

If you like podcasts, DNO has another one called Destination: Northern Ontario. Season 1 is for people thinking about buying a tourism business, and Season 2 has helpful advice for new tourism operators.

 Let's Talk Northern Ontario Tourism is an initiative of Tourism Excellence North and is recorded on the traditional territories of the Anishinaabek and the Mushkegowuk. It is hosted by Karen Peacock and produced by Storied Places Media with support from Erica Richard, Naza Obasi, and Gillian McCullough.