The Town of Bracebridge implemented a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) in October 2025.
A Municipal Accommodation Tax is a tax imposed by a local government or municipality on the price of overnight accommodations in its jurisdiction. Typically applied to hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments, this tax is collected from guests at the time of their booking. The primary purpose of the MAT is to generate additional revenue for the municipality to support various initiatives, such as tourism promotion, tourism infrastructure, and tourism product development, which directly or indirectly benefit both visitors and residents alike.
By implementing this tax on accommodations, municipalities can fairly distribute the costs of hosting tourists and maintaining tourism-related amenities, all without burdening local residents with increased taxes.
The Town of Bracebridge must share a minimum of 50% of MAT revenues with a designated Eligible Tourism Entity, a non-profit entity whose mandate includes the promotion of tourism in Ontario or in a municipality. As of 2025, Bracebridge does not have a required Eligible Tourism Entity.
In June 2025, Town Council directed staff to undertake the steps necessary to create a non-profit, non-share capital Municipal Services Corporation (MSC) to be named the Bracebridge Tourism Development Corporation.
It is proposed that the MSC be wholly owned by the Town and that its board be appointed by Town Council to ensure Council’s ability to be accountable to the citizens of Bracebridge.
The Town of Bracebridge implemented a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) in October 2025.
A Municipal Accommodation Tax is a tax imposed by a local government or municipality on the price of overnight accommodations in its jurisdiction. Typically applied to hotels, motels, and other lodging establishments, this tax is collected from guests at the time of their booking. The primary purpose of the MAT is to generate additional revenue for the municipality to support various initiatives, such as tourism promotion, tourism infrastructure, and tourism product development, which directly or indirectly benefit both visitors and residents alike.
By implementing this tax on accommodations, municipalities can fairly distribute the costs of hosting tourists and maintaining tourism-related amenities, all without burdening local residents with increased taxes.
The Town of Bracebridge must share a minimum of 50% of MAT revenues with a designated Eligible Tourism Entity, a non-profit entity whose mandate includes the promotion of tourism in Ontario or in a municipality. As of 2025, Bracebridge does not have a required Eligible Tourism Entity.
In June 2025, Town Council directed staff to undertake the steps necessary to create a non-profit, non-share capital Municipal Services Corporation (MSC) to be named the Bracebridge Tourism Development Corporation.
It is proposed that the MSC be wholly owned by the Town and that its board be appointed by Town Council to ensure Council’s ability to be accountable to the citizens of Bracebridge.
The Town of Bracebridge implemented a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) in October 2025 in accordance with the By-law 2025-054.
As part of this process, the Municipality is proposing the incorporation of a not-for-profit Municipal Services Corporation (MSC) to be the eligible tourism entity for MAT revenue sharing in Bracebridge.
The Municipality is looking for public input to help develop the proposed MSC. The feedback received will help provide direction on how the corporation can effectively support tourism efforts in Bracebridge.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to provide your feedback. All feedback will be used to inform the creation and operation of the Corporation.
