NEW FLiX Bus SERVICE STARTING MONDAY TO TORONTO FROM MUSKOKA OFFERS FLEX TICKET PRICES OF $22 TO $29 ONE WAY FROM GRAVENHURST
Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com
MUSKOKA — Can’t wait for the Northlander Train or pay the cost of a Northlander Bus to Toronto?
Starting Monday, June 8, for $22-$29 a new bus service is headed Gravenhurst’s way — before motoring north to Bracebridge, Huntsville … and eventually North Bay.
Explorers’ Edge announced the expanded service yesterday at Taboo Resort as part of a new summer Tourism Gravenhurst partnership with FlixBus, North America’s fastest-growing intercity bus service, to Muskoka and the wider Great Canadian Wilderness region
The seasonal routes create new ground transportation connections between Toronto Union Station, Toronto Pearson International Airport, Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, South River and North Bay, while also adding Parry Sound Municipal Airport to the existing Sudbury route.
The North Bay route includes stops at Fairfield Inn & Suites Gravenhurst, Tru by Hilton Bracebridge, Holiday Inn Express & Suites Huntsville, Crystal Cave in South River, and Holiday Inn Express & Suites North Bay by IHG.
It’s part of an exciting new tourism partnership with the new and little known Gravenhurst Tourism initiative, which has grown out its Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) initiative the past two years that has raked in hundred of thousands of dollars.
See their website to book cheap seat at https://www.flixbus.ca/
Murphy said the Flix Bus service launches at an important time for Ontario’s tourism economy. With travellers increasingly seeking convenient, budget-friendly long-distance transportation options, FlixBus offers a more affordable, accessible way for visitors to reach rural Ontario without the expense or complexity of driving.
The schedule is also conducive to real trip-planning, allowing travellers to consider day trips, overnight stays, hotel check-ins, outdoor experiences and regional itineraries that align with how visitors actually make travel decisions.
The partnership also supports the organization’s emerging Regenerative Travel Agency model, focused on developing bookable visitor experiences that connect transportation, accommodations, attractions, outdoor adventure, culture and local spending.
It’s an opportunity especially significant for domestic and international travellers arriving through Toronto and Pearson Airport.
Explorers’ Edge (Ontario’s regional RTO 12 tourism coordinate) is working with other partners to develop packages and itineraries that move visitors directly from the bus route into outdoor experiences, accommodations, downtowns, attractions and communities across the region.
Explorers’ Edge is the Regional Tourism Organization for Ontario’s Great Canadian Wilderness, including Muskoka, Parry Sound, Almaguin Highlands, Loring-Restoule, South Algonquin and Algonquin Park. Through its consumer brand, The Great Canadian Wilderness, Explorers’ Edge supports destination development, workforce development, product development, investment attraction, marketing and strategic partnerships across the region.
“Transportation is one of the missing pieces in rural destination development,” Murphy said yesterday.
“As demand for affordable travel continues to grow, we’re focused on expanding service to destinations travelers are actively looking to visit,” said Karina Frayter, head of communications at Flix North America. “Our partnership with Explorers’ Edge helps make it easier for visitors to experience Muskoka, Parry Sound, and Northern Ontario while supporting the communities and tourism businesses that make the region such an important part of Ontario’s visitor economy.”
“Improved transportation access is critical if we want more visitors to experience the region in a way that is practical, welcoming and connected,” said Brent Ellerson, Marketing Manager at Algonquin Outfitters and Vice Chair of Explorers’ Edge. “For a traveller arriving without a vehicle, or for someone looking for a more affordable way to explore Ontario, the ability to connect bus service with outdoor experiences, accommodations and local businesses can make the difference between interest and action.”
The announcement also aligns with broader provincial tourism priorities. The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario’s Forward Motion: A Strategic Playbook for Ontario’s Tourism Industry identifies expanded transportation infrastructure as a key component of building a more competitive and connected visitor economy.
“Forward Motion makes it clear that transportation is not separate from tourism growth — it is one of the conditions that enables it,” said Andrew Siegwart, President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario. “When regions connect transportation infrastructure with product development, visitor dispersal, workforce access and local business participation, they are helping bring Ontario’s tourism strategy to life.”
Explorers’ Edge will continue working with FlixBus, Tourism North Bay, Destination Marketing Organizations, accommodation partners, municipal partners, Chambers of Commerce, BIAs, attractions, outfitters and tourism operators to build awareness of the service and develop packages connected to the route.
About Explorers’ Edge
About FlixBus
Flix North America Inc., the parent company of FlixBus Inc. and Greyhound Lines, Inc., is a leading provider of long-distance bus transportation in North America. They are a subsidiary of Germany-based Flix SE, a global travel technology company operating bus and train services in more than 40 countries across four continents. Greyhound and FlixBus, together with their trusted partners, offer the most extensive coast-to-coast network of intercity bus routes, providing travelers with affordable and sustainable transportation options to more than 1,800 destinations in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. More than 12 million passengers ride with us each year. Our mission is to keep communities connected and help drive affordable and sustainable travel for everyone. For more information, please visit our website and press room.
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