July 30, 2008
In this issue:

Opportunity for VCM’s Adventure Partners
go2 Meets Facebook
Cota And PNWER Partners Call For More Effective Border Management
Welcome Monica Leeck to Tourism BC
TIP Continues to Grow

Opportunity for VCM’s Adventure Partners

Last year National Geographic ADVENTURE magazine conducted the world’s first comprehensive rating of adventure travel outfitters. To build on the success of the project (check out the results in the November 2007 issue, as well as at ngadventure.com/ratings), they are pleased to announce that they will be updating and expanding these ratings for 2009. Once again, the results will be featured in the magazine as well as on their website, creating the ultimate trip-planning resource for adventure travellers.

This is a great way for our Adventure partners to get their name out there and create a little marketing buzz!

go2 Meets Facebook

As part of go2’s multi-pronged tourism career awareness strategy, they have launched their second Facebook page: MOVE ON UP with a Career in Tourism. This one is targeted to youth in BC and Canada.  They just put it up a few weeks ago and it already has 104 fans! The other FaceBook page go2 has up and running is called work.play.live BC and is targeted to the international youth mobility market who can come here on working holiday visas.

Check out the latest page and become a Fan:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/MOVE-ON-UP-with-a-Career-in-Tourism/19443413690

COTA And PNWER Partners Call For More Effective Border Management

At a press conference in Vancouver on July 22, 2008 representatives from the business community and government in the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) called on the Governments of Canada and the United States to take immediate action to improve the management of the Canada-US border. 

The PNWER members recommended more than a dozen areas in which both federal governments need to work in order to address mounting issues of border lineups and delays, as well as increasing confusion around documentation requirements and general border policies and procedures.

COTA was one of ten signatories of the "PNWER Border Charter," which will see the creation of a "Border Solutions Coordination Council" - a group tasked with gauging progress made on the various recommendations.  The Council will also release an annual Border Report Card to assess this progress. 

The PNWER recommendations mirror those made by the Canadian and US Chambers of Commerce in their joint February 2008 report, entitled "Finding the Balance: Reducing Border Costs While Strengthening Security." 

The new PNWER Border Charter places particular emphasis on the need for the two federal governments to ensure a convenient and welcoming border crossing experience for travellers prior to, and during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
To review the Border Charter, click here.

"The border is often the first experience travellers have of a country, and the more we can do to make this experience positive for them, the more likely we are as a region to encourage travel and see long-term benefits from major events like the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games," said Stephen Regan, President and CEO of COTA.

Some of the specific recommendations adopted by PNWER include:

• Ensure a secure, convenient and welcoming border crossing experience for 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including an integrated and tested plan for handling peak flow traffic at border crossings and a pre-clearance program, designated special lanes and information for Olympics border crossers; 
• Reduce congestion and streamline flows of legitimate trade and travel, including increased staffing levels and traffic capacity, more use of technology for pre-clearance and processing prior to physical arrival at the border and improved signage directing traffic towards less congested border crossings and lanes, and improved procedures for frequent business travellers;
• Increase outreach and expansion of frequent border crossing programs to improve security by focusing resources on higher-risk traffic through increased use of Nexus cards, designated flexible lanes, and improved public communication on document requirements in partnership with the tourism industry, border communities and regional organizations. 
  
  "The 2009 World Police and Fire Games and the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games are just two of the region's next major tourism opportunities. But congestion and delay at the border could sour their benefits if we don't act now to streamline and improve day-to-day travel and trade in advance of these events," said John van Dongen, BC's Solicitor General.

The 18th PNWER Annual Summit is in Vancouver, B.C., and continues through July 24, 2008.
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER), with its network of private and government officials, is a best practice in organized regional cross-border cooperation.  Members come from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho.
For more information about the Border Charter or COTA's other activities relating to border issues, contact Peter Larose, COTA's Director of Policy and Planning at 604.685.5996.

Source: Council of Tourism Associations (COTA) Alert July 23, 2008.

Welcome Monica Leeck to Tourism BC

Tourism British Columbia is pleased to announce that Monica Leeck will be joining the Consumer Marketing division to head up the North American travel trade area. Monica joins Tourism BC from Rocky Mountaineer Vacations where she held the position of Director, Regional Sales.  Prior to this, Monica held ever increasing positions of responsibility with Tourism Whistler and Tourism Vancouver, working the European, South Pacific and Latin American markets. Monica's first day is August 18 and she'll be making the rounds to say hello. 

TIP Continues to Grow

TIP is an ID card program for employees and students who are actively engaged in the Canadian tourism industry. In addition to allowing card holders to store work history and resume information, TIP offers access to a tourism-specific job bank that allows you to post and browse employment opportunities online.  As a TIP card holder, you will also be kept up to date on the latest trends and challenges impacting tourism in Canada, and TIAC will validate your work history from the date of enrolment, assuring prospective employers that your career choice is tourism.

TIP is available to anyone studying or working in tourism, including; employees of a tourism business that is a paying member of TIAC or any provincial/territorial industry association;  employees and members of a DMO, PMO, tourism marketing region, or TIAC; consultants whose sole focus is tourism; and, individuals currently enrolled in a tourism-related educational program. Tourism employers can also invest in TIP cards as a benefit for the employees. Another fundamental benefit for card holders is access to exclusive discounts on travel services and products offered by TIP affinity partners. Becoming a TIP affinity partner offers exposure to cardholders that are actively engaged in the Canadian tourism industry, positions your company as an employer of choice for tourism professionals, and provides access to valuable primary research on Canada's tourism workforce.

For more information on becoming an affinity partner or cardholder, visit www.tip.travel. For questions on the program, please contact Andrea Labelle at 613.688.1454.

Source: TIAC Talk (Travel Industry Association of Canada) July 18, 2008 newsletter.