Tourism Vaughan recognized for excellence

The City of Vaughan’s tourism professionals were recognized at the Attractions Ontario 2025 Annual General Meeting for their expertise in this field! 

Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council recognized Ashley Angeloni, a senior tourism development officer with the City, and Angela Poletto, a member of the Tourism Vaughan Advisory Committee who works at McMichael Canadian Art Collection, as well as the Tourism Vaughan team during a ceremonial presentation at the Sept. 22 Council meeting for the following awards:

• Tourism Champion of the Year, Ashley Angeloni – Attractions Ontario presents this award to individuals who provide significant organizational assistance, commitment, enthusiasm and specific expertise to the nominating business.

• Colonel Don Dailley Lifetime Achievement Award, Angela Poletto – Attractions Ontario presents this award to an individual who has made significant contributions to the development and promotion of the tourism industry in Ontario. 

The Tourism Vaughan team, which is part of the City’s Economic Development department, has championed Vaughan as a premier destination for leisure, sport and business travellers, undertaking initiatives to strengthen Vaughan’s tourism industry, in alignment with the Vaughan Destination Master Plan (PDF).

Check out recent highlights in Tourism Vaughan’s 2024 Year in Review:

• Product development: The team supported the delivery of 271 events, activations and festivals, 25 business conferences, 18 sports tournaments and four familiarization tours.

• Tourism development: Eighteen recipients were awarded a total of $124,000 in grant funding to host local fairs, festivals and sporting events, contributing an estimated $2.5 million in economic impact to Vaughan’s local economy through the Host in Vaughan Grant Program launched in 2024.

• Partnerships: The Tourism Vaughan team attended 20 tradeshows, conferences and events, including the Ontario Motor Coach Association Marketplace, Canadian Meetings + Events Expo, Ontario Tourism Summit, Canadian Society of Association Executives Annual Conference and the Central Counties Tourism Symposium. The team also visited 14 accommodations and 10 sports venues during annual site tours. More than 50 people attended the Vaughan tourism networking event. Tourism Vaughan actively shared 139 news items through its business-to-business eNewsletter and engaged in the promotion and facilitation of three development programs.

To learn more about tourism in Vaughan, visit vaughan.ca/TVC and follow Tourism Vaughan on Instagram.

QUOTES

“Congratulations to Ashley Angeloni, a member of the City’s Tourism Vaughan team, for winning the Tourism Champion of the Year Award, and Angela Poletto, for winning the Colonel Don Dailley Lifetime Achievement Award, at Attractions Ontario’s 2025 Annual General Meeting! Vaughan is a community visitors from all around the world come to experience – and the Tourism Vaughan team plays a significant role in putting our great city on the map and growing our local economy. These awards are wonderful examples of what the City does daily to showcase everything Vaughan has to offer, including thrilling attractions, state-of-the-art sports and recreation facilities, beautiful parks, world-class dining establishments and more. Thank you to the Tourism Vaughan team for their continued dedication to their work.” 

- Mayor Steven Del Duca 

“It gives me great pleasure to celebrate the wins of City staff and community leaders. These awards from Attractions Ontario are given to individuals who provide significant organizational assistance, commitment, enthusiasm and expertise – which are all perfect descriptions of the work Ashley Angeloni and Angela Poletto do. I also want to acknowledge the entire Tourism Vaughan team for the role they play in promoting tourism to our city. Tourism gives our local businesses a boost, helps create jobs and encourages connection between people from around the world. Keep up the great work!”

- Zoran Postic, City Manager

“The Tourism Vaughan team works tirelessly to show residents and visitors everything our city has to offer. Ashley Angeloni’s and Angela Poletto’s recognition is a testament to the work done to ensure a strong relationship between the City of Vaughan and the many tourism-related enterprises that bring visitors to Vaughan. Tourism is a key part of economic development in Vaughan, and this recognition from Attractions Ontario reflects the work Ashley and the entire team do every day to illustrate everything visitors get to experience.”

- Raphael Costa, Director of Economic Development

QUICK FACTS

• Mayor Steven Del Duca and Members of Council recognized the Tourism Vaughan team at the Sept. 22 Council meeting during a ceremonial presentation for the Attractions Ontario 2025 Annual General Meeting Awards. 

• Attractions Ontario is a member based association representing Ontario-based sites, activities, and experiences that draw visitors for leisure, cultural, educational, recreational, or entertainment purposes. It serves as an authority on attractions and trip motivators in Ontario.

• Ashley Angeloni, a senior tourism development officer at the City, was awarded the Tourism Champion of the Year award. 

• Angela Poletto, Associate Director of Sales and Community Engagement at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Vice Chair of the City of Vaughan’s Creative and Cultural Industries Advisory Committee and a member of the Tourism Vaughan Advisory Committee was awarded the Colonel Don Dailley Lifetime Achievement Award. 

LEARN MORE

• City of Vaughan's website

• City of Vaughan's Economic Development website

• City of Vaughan's Tourism Vaughan website