June 6, 2007
In this issue:

5 MORE Reasons to Sign-up Today for VCM’s Regional Tourism Leaders Forum
Position Available at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains
Mighty Fraser Country - DMO Golf Day
Canadian and Australian Sunshine Coasts Go Boating for Breast Cancer!
Confused by Tourism Industry Jargon?

5 MORE Reasons to Sign-up Today for VCM’s Regional Tourism Leaders Forum

In the last edition of eNews we told you about 5 great reasons to sign up now for the upcoming Regional Tourism Leaders Forum. Just in case you missed them, here’s a recap: #5 – Networking Opportunities, #4- Informative Speaker Sessions, #3 - Hear Tiller’s Folly Perform Live, #2 - Voice Your Opinion at the AGM, and #1 - Explore Beautiful Pemberton.

If you still haven’t registered, here are 5 MORE reasons to sign-up today!

#6. Prizes – It’s all about the prizes at the 2007 RTLF, and by attending you will be eligible to win the fabulous grand prize we'll be giving away.

#7. MORE Speaker Sessions – Since the last edition of E-News we’ve confirmed MORE informative speaker sessions. Hear Anna Pollock, CEO of Desticorp, discuss Our Tourism Future: The Path from Good to Great. Listen to industry experts speak to The Importance of Image in Marketing. You’ll also hear Judith Reid, Bruce Dewar, Jim Storie, Chris Gudgeon and others discuss how to grow your business and develop true cooperative advantage.

#8. Pemberton Potatoes – Whether you like them baked, mashed, roasted, fried, twice-baked, or on the grill, you can’t deny that Pemberton grows some of the best virus free seed potatoes in the region. Don’t believe us? Try them for yourselves at the Adventure Ranch BBQ!

#9. Potato Jack – Pemberton has a seed potato mascot, and it’s rumored he’ll be making an appearance at the RTLF…

#10. Adventure Ranch BBQ – Join us at the Adventure Ranch on Wednesday, June 20. Mix and mingle with your fellow tourism partners as you enjoy the live music and dance to the tunes of Tiller’s Folly.

The RTLF will be held in Pemberton on June 20 -21, 2007. Click here to register now www.vcmbc.com/tourismforum/registration.htm. For more information on VCM’s Regional Tourism Leaders Forum contact Laura Woodbridge at 604-484-5361 or laura@vcmbc.com.

Can’t make it to this year’s RTLF? Marketing partners in good standing who would like to vote at the Annual General Meeting can exercise their right of proxy by filling out this form.

Position Available at Vancouver, Coast & Mountains

We're looking for an accountant to join our team. This one-person office has full responsibility for two sets of books, from financial planning to statement preparation, but excludes payroll. Experience will include 2+ years with QuickBooks, excellence in Excel, with knowledge of ACT a bonus. Committed to timely and accurate reporting, the person we're looking for will also love to analyze and offer recommendations.
If you're looking for a fun, friendly place to spend your business hours, please send a complete resume to kevan@vcmbc.com. No telephone calls will be accepted.

Mighty Fraser Country - DMO Golf Day

Every day it is becoming more and more apparent that the success of tourism in Mighty Fraser Country is strongly enhanced by organizations and communities working together. It is the belief of the Tourism Abbotsford Society that the best working relationships are developed between friends; and to foster a spirit of organizational friendship we have undertaken the scheduling of a DMO Golf Day.

The purpose of the day is simply to enjoy the weather and meet colleagues and peers in the tourism industry thereby setting the stage for future partnerships.

When: July 19, 2007 @ 11:00am

Where: Ledgeview Golf Course - www.ledgeviewgolf.com

Cost: $40 per golfer (carts extra)

Dinner: 5:00pm - Ordered at own cost off the menu at Bar & Grill

Employees, volunteers and directors of every DMO in Mighty Fraser Country are invited to attend. Please forward this e-mail to everyone involved in your organization and strongly encourage them to attend. If anyone is not interested in golfing they are welcome to join the group for dinner.

Please RSVP to Kyle McGregor, General Manager, Ramada Plaza & Conference Centre at kmcgregor@ramadaabbotsford.ca or 604.870.6160.

Canadian and Australian Sunshine Coasts Go Boating for Breast Cancer!

Approximately 2,000 breast cancer survivors from around the world are expected to descend on the Sunshine Coast, Australia for the Abreast in Australia 2007 Dragon Boat Regatta later this year, including a special Canadian Sunshine Coast team.

All competitors in the Regatta (from the drummer to the sweep and all the paddlers) will be breast cancer survivors. Among the competitors will be a team from the Sunshine Coast, British Columbia, in Canada, who will join the competition for a showdown with their Australian Sunshine Coast counterparts.

This is not the first time the two Sunshine Coasts have come face to face. Tourism Sunshine Coast (Australia) Chief Executive Officer John Fitzgerald and his Canadian Sunshine Coast counterpart Kevan Ridgway, President & Chief Executive Officer of Vancouver, Coast & Mountains Tourism, have been working together to develop links between the two regions since 2005.

The pair, who had been aware of their regional namesake’s existence through Google searches, soon realized that despite contrasting climates their regions had much in common.

“There are some nice synergies between what our regions offer including breathtaking natural backdrops, soft adventure, outrigging and an enviable lifestyle option,” Mr. Fitzgerald said. “This Dragon Boat Regatta will not only be a fantastic opportunity to showcase our beautiful region, it will also provide a boost for our local tourism industry. I’m sure many of the visiting athletes will be hurrying back to visit us again soon.”

Mr. Ridgway shares the sentiments, “The similarities don’t stop there. Along with endless soft adventure possibilities, BC’s Sunshine Coast is lined with long stretches of golden sand met by beautiful blue ocean waters – something Australia is well known for. And both coasts are home to such friendly locals, they are a vacationer’s paradise.”

The number of Canadian visitors choosing Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as a holiday destination rose 13.2% from December 2005 to December 2006 which shows the market is one worth nurturing. Likewise, the Australian visitation to British Columbia has grown 10.1% Year-to-Date.
 
Both the Canadian and Queensland Sunshine Coast teams will battle it out against 65 other international teams, including teams from the United States and Italy.

The Abreast in Australia Dragon Boat Regatta will feature an action-packed three days commencing with an opening ceremony on September 28, 2007 and will include street parades, a mini expo, a party night at Aussie World … and of course plenty of Dragon Boat racing.

Registration for the Abreast in Australia 2007 Dragon Boat Regatta closes on June 30, 2007. For more information on the Abreast in Australia 2007 Dragon Boat Regatta, or to register, visit http://www.dragonsabreast.com.au/Australia_2007/index.htm

Confused by Tourism Industry Jargon?

FIT, Voucher, Tariff, FAM tour – you’ve probably heard these terms and others used by industry partners or VCM staff before. Often it can be an alphabet soup of abbreviations and acronyms that, for those of us who use them daily, take for granted.

Below is a list of the most commonly used “industry jargon” that you may already, or will, use when conducting business within the tourism industry.

For those who’ve been around forever (and you know who you are!), use this list as a refresher course or for staff training. If you are relatively new to VCM or to the industry in general, hopefully these will help answer the question “What the heck does that mean”?

Have questions about any of the below or other terms not listed? Feel free to contact Jason Knibbs (Jason@vcmbc.com, 604.484.5363) at any time.

Affinity group: A group of people that share a common hobby, interest, or activity, or that are united through regular participation in shared outings. Also see preformed group.

Block: A number of rooms, seats, or space reserved in advance, usually by wholesalers, tour operators, or receptive operators who intend to sell them as components of tour packages.

Circle itinerary: A travel routing design that overnights in different locations and returns to the point of departure without retracing the travel route.

Commission: A percentage of a travel product’s price that is returned to the distributor when the product is sold. Commissionable tour: A tour available through retail and wholesale travel agencies which provides for a payment of an agreed-upon sales commission to the retailer or wholesale seller.

Complimentary (comps): Items provided free of charge, such as rooms, meals, tickets, airfare, gifts, souvenirs, etc. Comp policy: Arrangements for free tickets, rooms, meals, etc.

Driver-guide: A tour guide who does double duty by driving a vehicle while narrating.

Escorted group tour: A group tour that features a tour director who travels with the group throughout the trip to provide sightseeing commentary and coordinate all group movement and activities.

FAM (familiarization) tour: A free or reduced-rate trip offered to travel professionals to acquaint them with what a destination, attraction, or supplier has to offer.

Frequent/Fully Independent travel (F.I.T.): A custom-designed, prepaid travel package with many individualized arrangements. F.I.T. are unescorted and usually have no formal itinerary.

Fly/drive tour: An F.I.T. package that always includes air travel and a rental car and sometimes other travel components.

Group leader: An individual who has been given the responsibility of coordinating tour and travel arrangements for a group. The group leader may act as a liaison to a tour operator or may develop a tour independently (and sometimes serve as the tour director).

Group rate: A special discounted rate charged by suppliers to groups. Also called tour rate.

Group tour: A travel package for an assembly of travelers that has a common itinerary, travel date, and transportation. Group tours are usually prearranged, prepaid, and include transportation, lodging, dining, and attraction admissions. See also escorted group tour.

Incentive tour: A trip offered as a prize, particularly to stimulate the productivity of employees or sales agents.

Net wholesale rate: A rate usually slightly lower than the wholesale rate, applicable to groups of individuals when a hotel/attraction is specifically mentioned in a tour brochure. The rate is marked up by wholesale sellers of tours to cover distribution and promotion costs.

Packaged travel: A package in combination of two or more types of tour components into a product which is produced, assembled, promoted and sold as a package by a tour operator for an all-inclusive price.

Receptive operator: A local tour company that specializes in services for incoming visitors, often for tour operator groups – ie)  JAC Travel or Jonview Canada

Scheduled tour: A tour that’s set in a tour operator’s regular schedule of tour departures and that’s often sold to the general public. Also called public tour or retail tour.

Tariff: (1) Fare or rate from a supplier; (2) Class or type of a fare or rate; (3) Published list of fares or rates from a supplier; (4) Official publication compiling rates or fares and conditions of service.

Tour director/escort: Also called tour manager, tour conductor, and tour escort. The person who is responsible for a group on tour and for most aspects of a tour’s execution.

Tour operator: A person or company that contracts with suppliers to create and/or market a tour and/or subcontract their performance.

Voucher: Documents that are exchanged for goods and service to substantiate payment that will be or already has been made.

For a complete list of frequently used terms and definitions visit:
http://www.ntaonline.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=18&url_subchannel_id=&url_article_id=1012&change_well_id=2

For acronyms and abbreviations: http://www.vcmbc.com/page.cfm/9301