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VCM
Partners Extranet |
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July 18, 2008
In this issue:
How Can the 2010 Games Reduce Tourism?
From the Ministry: Tax Information for Accommodation Providers
A Message From TIAC on the Chinese Market and ADS
How is Amtrak Affecting BC?
Why is Marketing Research Essential?
What’s New Web Report
On the Go
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How Can the 2010 Games Reduce Tourism?
A recent article on Tourism Exchange Company raised awareness to the event that is on everyone’s mind these days – the 2010 Games. The article touches base on the topic of The European Tour Operators Association (ETOA), who published a report reinforcing the conclusions of a study they published two years ago that hosting the Olympic Games typically stalls tourism growth. To read the full article, click here:
http://www.tourismexchange.com/exchange/en/newsroom/home/getArticle.jsp?articleID=7651&languageID=1
So what is going on and should we be worried? Ray LeBlond from Tourism BC has a few comments to shed light on the findings in this article, namely “that the key to our future is the quality of the experience, for independent visitors as well as those who are chronicling the experience on behalf of others, such as broadcasters. We have been very aggressive in ensuring their experience is a very positive one, long before the Games even begin.” He also argues that the reduction in numbers in Australia can be attributed to three primary factors:
1. The events of 9/11 and other world-wide issues such as gas prices, etc.
2. A shift in their branding strategy did not succeed
3. A reduction after the Games in tourism investment by government, who felt they had made their contribution to tourism by agreeing to host the Games
With respect to the empty hotel rooms in Bejing, Ray comments that they “already had reasonable capacity and then built new product. On top of this, their focus is international media coverage, not actually foreign attendance. They can easily fill the venues with Chinese Nationals. We have the opposite problem with existing capacity.”
So what should we do here in BC? Be aware of the aversion effect and get the message out whenever possible that we are open for business.
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From the Ministry: Tax Information for Accommodation Providers
As British Columbia moves towards the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue is working to provide tax information to all businesses and individuals conducting business in the province.
To this end, the ministry and the Canada Revenue Agency have produced this brochure, Tax Information for Accommodation Providers, which they hope you will make available to interested individuals and businesses in your area. It provides a concise summary of the provincial and federal tax issues which may be encountered by accommodation providers operating in British Columbia.
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A Message From TIAC on the Chinese Market and ADS
According to the World Tourism Organization, there will be 100 million Chinese citizens a year expected to travel abroad as tourists by 2020. China represents a huge potential market for the Canadian tourism industry. A total of 148,000 Chinese travelers arrived in Canada in 2006, up 23% from a year earlier. Moreover, the number increased to 156,000 in 2007. The most recent data from Canadian Tourism Commission shows that overseas key markets overnight trips to Canada posted a 1.1% increase. China posted the largest growth rate (+17.9%) in February 2008. This strong growth made China the fastest growing international market for tourists to Canada.
In an attempt to increase inbound Chinese tourists, Canada is seeking Approved Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government. Although Canada was granted approval to seek this status in 2005, negotiations are still on-going and the agreement has not been finalized. The ADS is a bilateral tourism agreement under which:
- It will be easier for Chinese citizens to travel to Canada for leisure purposes;
- Canada will be able to actively market its tourism products in China; and
- Chinese travel agents will be permitted to advertise and promote leisure travel packages to Canada.
Lakehead University, in cooperation with the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and Canadian Inbound Tourism Association Asia Pacific (CITAP), is conducting a study to better understand how well the tourism industry understands the ADS and Chinese tourists in general.
Many countries, including the U.S. have ADS approval and are actively marketing their destinations to China. It is important that Canada develop an effective ADS agreement soon. We are asking that you contribute to this effort. If your business, currently or in the future, benefits from Chinese visitors, we would ask that you participate in this survey by clicking on this link: http://www.insitefulsurveys.com/Survey.asp?SI=243851613261.
The survey will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and all responses will be kept confidential.
Source: Travel Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)
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How is Amtrak Affecting BC?
Since 1995, Amtrak and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) have sponsored daily rail service between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. The service, commonly known as Amtrak Cascades, is primarily designed to provide the traveling public with an alternative to highway and air travel. A secondary benefit of the service is the economic activity generated by riders visiting the communities served by the trains. Follow this link, Economic Study for one of the latest reports from the WSDOT on the economic impact of Amtrak Cascades in British Columbia.
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Why is Marketing Research Essential?
Business decisions that are based on intelligence and good market research can minimize risk. By making market research part and parcel of the business process and conducting market research throughout the lifecycle of a product or service, market research will bring the following benefits:
- Market research will help you better communicate - Your current customers experiences are a valuable information source, not only will they allow you to gauge how well you currently meet their expectations, they can also tell you where you are getting things right and more importantly where you are getting things wrong.
- Market research helps you identify opportunities - If you are planning to operate a new service and want to know the preconceived attitudes people have, then market research can help, not only in evaluating the potential for a new idea, but also by identifying the areas where a marketing message needs to honed.
- Market research will minimize risk - Market research can help shape a new product or service, identifying what is needed and ensure that the development of a product is highly focused towards demand.
- Market research creates benchmarks and helps you measure your progress - Unless you measure, you may not be able to gauge how well your business is performing. Early research may highlight glaring holes in your service or short falls in your product, regular market research will show if improvements are being made and, if positive, will help motivate a team.
Where Should You Look?
There is tons of free research that can help you increase your business, you just need to know where to find it!
Various Canadian organizations conduct research on different aspects of the tourism industry, providing tourism partners with information to enhance the effectiveness of future marketing and development projects. This information is helpful to determine patterns and trends.
Most research is free but not always easy and quick to find. Therefore, we have pulled a couple of our favourites for you to use as your own resources, and where to find them.
British Columbia Based Tourism Research Organizations
BC Centre for Tourism Leadership and Innovation
Tourism Online Resource Centre
Web: www.bctorc.ca
Tel: 250.387.0327
Fax: 250.387.0329
Email: BC.Stats@gems8.gov.bc.ca
Website: www.bcstats.gov.bc.ca
Capilano College
Tel: 604.984.1769
Fax: 604.984.4985
Website: http://www.capcollege.bc.ca/services/learning-support/library/assistance/guides/tourism-studies.html
Council of Tourism Associations (COTA)
Phone: 604.685.5956
Fax: 604.685.5915
Email: info@cotabc.com
Website: http://www.cotabc.com
Go2 - The Resource for People in Tourism
Tel: 604.633.9787
Fax: 604.633.9796
Email: info@go2hr.ca
Website: http://www.go2hr.ca
Simon Fraser University - Centre for Tourism Policy and Research
Tel: 604.291.3074
Fax: 604.291.4968
Website: http://www.sfu.ca/~dossa/
Tourism British Columbia - Research Services
Tel: 250.387.1567 [information requests]
Fax: 250.356.8246
Email: research@tourismbc.ca
Website: http://www.tourismbc.com/template.asp?id=2
Vancouver Public Library - Business and Economics Division
Tel: 604.331.3603 (main) or 604.331.3624 (Business Desk)
Fax: 604.331.3800
Website: http://www.vpl.ca/branches
Canadian-Based Tourism Research Organizations
The Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC)
Tel: 613.954.3943
Fax: 613.954.3945
Email: ctx_feedback@ctc-cct.ca
Website: http://www.canadatourism.com
Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC)
Tel: 613.231.6949
Fax: 613.231.6853
Email: cthrc@cthrc.ca
Website: http://www.cthrc.ca
Canadian Tourism Research Institute (CTRI) (an affiliate of The Conference Board of Canada)
Tel: 613.526.3280 or 1.866.711.2262
Fax: 613.526.4857
Email: ctri@conferenceboard.ca
Website: http://www.conferenceboard.ca/ctri/default.htm
Statistics Canada - Pacific Regional Reference Centre Advisory Services
Tel: 604.666.3691 or 1.800.263.1136
Fax: 604. 666.4863
Email: infostats@statcan.ca
Website: http://www.statcan.ca
Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC)
Tel: 613.238.3883
Fax: 613.238.3878
Email: info@tiac-aitc.ca
Website: http://www.tiac-aitc.ca
Tourism Research Links
Website: http://www.waksberg.com
Travel and Tourism Research Association - Canadian Chapter
Phone: 613.238.3883
Email: info@ttracanada.ca
Website: http://www.ttracanada.ca
Internationally-Based Tourism Research Organizations
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
Tel: 510.625.2055
Fax: 510.625.2044
Email: americas@pata.org
Website: http://www.pata.org
United States International Trade Administration-Tourism Industries
Email: webmaster@tinet.ita.doc.gov
Website: http://www.tinet.ita.doc.gov
Travel Industry Association of America (TIA)
Tel: 202.408.8422
Fax 202.408.1255
Email: feedback@tia.org
Website: http://www.tia.org
World Tourism Organization (WTO)
Tel: 34.91.567.8100
Fax: 34.91.571.3733
Email: omt@world-tourism.org
Website: http://www.world-tourism.org
World Travel and Tourism Council
Tel: 44.870.727.9882
Fax: 44.870.728.9882
Email: enquiries@wttc.org
Website: http://www.wttc.org
HVS - Global Hospitality Consulting
www.hvsinternational.com - (604) 988-9743
Pannell Kerr Forster
Tel: 604.689.3833
www.pkfcanada.com
International Federation for IT and Travel and Tourism
Website: www.ifitt.org
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What’s New Web Report
The sun is out and the beaches are full, so we would expect most people to have done their research on the places they will be visiting in the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region. VCM’s website is a great reflection on how the individual traveller prepares for their holidays; during the shoulder seasons we see much more traffic to www.vcmbc.com and during peak seasons our numbers stay steady or even drop down the slightest bit.
Our June visits were down by a few hundred from May 2008. However, with the upgrades that have been done over the past year on search engine optimization (SEO), our June 2008 numbers are higher then June 2007! This is a great reflection on the efforts which have been made to improve the recognition of the www.vcmbc.com.
A quick overview of our stats (June 1st till June 30th):
- Number of Absolute Unique Visitors to our site – 26,286
- Number of Total Page views – 63,796
If you want to learn more about your target audience and the visitors to your site, watch your keywords. Look for trends in the types of keywords that are being used to enter your site, and by knowing these, you can tailor your advertising to bring in more potential visitors. For example during the winter months, VCM sees more keywords that centre on winter activities and local winter attractions. During our summer months we see a change to more weather appropriate activities. This may seem like common sense but being more aware of this information will benefit not only your online marketing initiatives but also your print and others you are working on.
Our numbers do change daily and we are still continuing to work on the optimization of our pages to ensure they and our partners are easily found on search engines such as Google. If you have any questions about our reports or would like a report of your listing on www.vcmbc.com, please contact Kelly Miller at 604-484-5366 or kellym@vcmbc.com.
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On the Go
Here is a snapshot from a recent FAM tour to the Painted Boat Resort on the Sunshine Coast. Kevan Ridgway and Jason Knibbs attended this fantastic day and returned to the office with plenty of stories about Painted Boat and plenty of sun (mostly in the form of burnt red faces!). It was a great event.
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Your feedback is most
welcome on any subject – please e-mail kevan@vcmbc.com. |
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